Executive Policy 4.202 Executive Policy 4.202

System Sustainability

Executive Policy Chapter 4, Planning
Executive Policy 4.202, System Sustainability
Effective Date:  July 2025
Prior Dates Amended:  February 25, 2015
Responsible Office:  Office of the Vice President for Administration
Governing Board of Regents Policy, RP 4.201, Mission and Purpose of the University, RP 4.208, Sustainability Policy
Review Date:  July 2028

Introduction

The University of Hawai‘i (University or UH) has a rich history of research, teaching and curriculum development, service and stakeholder activism on issues of sustainability.  The University recognizes the rich foundation of indigenous Hawaiian cultural values and knowledge, and seeks to learn from this foundation to develop a uniquely strong response to climate change and sustainability challenges.

Hawai‘i is highly dependent on imported fossil fuel and endures among the highest electricity rates in the United States.  This jeopardizes the economy and the health of the physical environment.  Recognizing this problem, Hawai‘i is also one of few states that has adopted a climate change law (Act 234, 2007), has one of the most aggressive renewable energy policies in the country (Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative 2008) and has established ambitious state sustainability goals endorsed by the legislature in the Aloha + Challenge (Hawai‘i Green Growth Hawai‘i) and the Hawai‘i State Sustainability Plan.  The Board of Regents has embraced sustainability as a core aspect of the UH mission, and it is imperative that the UH System, one of the largest consumers of energy in the State, establishes an ambitious sustainability policy to ensure it continues to deliver world class educational and research opportunities for generations to come.

Every campus has the opportunity and obligation to embrace sustainability principles for all campus activities and to set data-based performance measures to improve resource use efficiencies, increase the generation and use of renewable energy, and conserve state social, cultural, economic and environmental resources.

1. To establish a mechanism through which administrators, faculty, staff and students implement the sustainability goals in accordance with the policy established by the Board of Regents (BOR).


2. To further define goals in the areas of operations.  These goals shall serve to guide the campus strategic planning efforts for all campuses.


3. To provide systemwide metrics and targets for improved efficiency and reduced resource waste for buildings, climate, dining, energy, grounds, purchasing, transportation, waste and water, along with timelines and a reporting framework.


4. To establish mechanisms to track and re-invest savings from sustainability initiatives in order to maximize efficiencies and reduce waste.


5. To establish a university-wide culture that integrates sustainability values in an island context with global impact.

As used in this policy, sustainability means serving the needs of the present without jeopardizing the needs of the future.

1. Purpose
   The University is committed to continuous improvement in reducing its negative environmental impact and becoming ecologically restorative in buildings, climate, food systems, energy, grounds, purchasing, transportation, waste and water. The University of Hawai‘i System shall develop goals, metrics and plans that address the operations and planning of the built environment as part of a comprehensive sustainability program.
   Accordingly, the University shall:
   
   1. Commit to minimize greenhouse emissions and become carbon neutral by 2050.
   
   
   2. Reduce fossil fuel sourced energy through increased efficiency and use of renewable energy sources.  The University shall meet or exceed the following energy reduction and renewable targets relative to a 2008 baseline:
      
                                  By 2020  By 2025  By 2030  By 2035
      Energy efficiency    10%        20%        30%        40%
      Renewables            10%        20%        30%        40%
   
   
   
   3. Ensure that sustainability design requirements are incorporated into University projects that are grounded in energy efficiency and renewable principles and are consistent with Hawai‘i’s climate and conditions.
   
   
   4. Ensure that all new construction and major renovations will achieve a minimum of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) “Silver” designation and will strive for LEED “Gold.”
   
   
   5. Provide an energy management system that will inform the University community on the progress toward the energy and carbon neutrality goals.
   
   
   6. Establish metrics and reporting mechanisms to track total solid waste generated, waste source reduction, recycling, re-use of materials, green waste, food waste, electronic waste, use of single use plastics and bioconversion.
   
   
   7. Establish metrics and reporting mechanisms to track water conservation, water efficiency and best management practices methods for rainwater/stormwater storage, recharge and re-use on the campus and wastewater management to reduce effluent discharge into local surface water supplies.
   
   
   8. Establish metrics and reporting mechanisms to track fuel efficiency and sustainability for campus fleets.
   
   
   9. Establish policies and programs to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips to campuses, including support for optional modes of transportation and bicycle and pedestrian friendly campuses and communities.
   
   
   10. Support imparting a Hawaiian sense of place on all campuses through landscaping, signage and the creation of gathering spaces to enable social and cultural sustainability of campus communities.
   
   
   11. Establish a tracking mechanism and establish targets and milestones for the implementation of sustainable food service practices, including where financially feasible, purchasing local and sustainable food products.
   
   
   12. Establish a Green Purchasing Policy for all supplies, equipment and building materials (including computers, cleaning products, paper and other material goods) which strives to integrate sustainability criteria into vendor selection processes.



2. Campus Sustainability Operational Plans
   
   Each campus shall develop and adopt its own sustainability operational plan that includes mechanisms to collect, track and report data that empirically measures the advancements made in all of the areas addressed by this policy.
   
   Each University Chancellor/Provost and the Vice President for Community Colleges shall report annually to the Board and the President regarding advancement made toward implementation and execution of this policy using the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) reporting template.

The Vice President for Administration is delegated authority to develop specific procedures that carry out the intent of this Executive policy.  The Vice President or his/her designee shall report to the President annually on the progress in carrying out the University’s commitment to sustainability.

Office of the Vice President for Administration
Telephone: (808) 956-6405
Email:  vpadmin@hawaii.edu

1. Board of Regents Policy RP 4.201, Mission and Purpose of the University, addressing sustainability:
   http://www.hawaii.edu/policy/rp4.201


2. The University of Hawai‘i Sustainability Working Group used the following local and global websites and documents to guide its policy development:
   
   1. Hawai‘i Green Growth ALOHSA+ Challenge
   
   
   2. The Earth Charter uses “a universal expression of ethical principles to foster sustainable development.”
   
   
   3. http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/pages/Read-the-Charter.html
   
   
   4. UNESCO is leading an international agenda for sustainable development with an emphasis on indigenous knowledge.
      
      1. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-sustainable-development/
      
      
      2. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-sustainable-development/indigenous-knowledge/
   
   
   5. The mission of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is to inspire and catalyze higher education to lead the global sustainability transformation. AASHE has developed the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to transparently measure their sustainability performance and evaluate campus sustainability efforts.
      
      1. https://aashe.org/
      
      
      2. https://stars.aashe.org/
   
   
   6. The goal of the Sustainable Communities network is “to establish local economies that are economically viable, environmentally sound and socially responsible.”
      http://www.sustainable.org/economy
      

No Exhibits and Appendices found

    Wendy F. Hensel DatePresident