OAKLAND, CA — The University of California has stepped up its sustainability policy systemwide by setting higher green standards for food service operations and building throughout its 10 campuses, five medical centers and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
UC's Policy on Sustainable Practices (pdf) sets a high bar for environmental performance in new construction, renovation and siting of buildings, land use, energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas reduction, general and electronics equipment recycling, waste reduction, food service, purchasing and other operations related to the university's facilities.
Revisions in the policy's building provisions by the UC Regents include requirements that new structures be designed to the equivalent of at least silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards maintained by the U.S. Green Building Council -- and that campuses strive to achieve at least a LEED-Gold rating for their new building.
Under pressure from students -- 10,000 sent in postcards demanding greener food choices at their campuses -- the UC Regents also approved sweeping changes in food service operations to require that:
A student leader of the sustainable food campaign, Hai Vo of University of California, Irvine, was honored for efforts by the Earth Island Institute. He received a Brower Youth Award from the institute this week.
The new UC food service policy was developed over the past year. According to UC, a systemwide group of more than 40 people participating in the process and included input from the food operations units for each campus and the University of California San Francisco Medical Center.
The UC system's sustainability efforts are detailed at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/sustainability.
Sather Gate at the University of California's Berkeley Campus -- Image courtesy of the University of California