STARS Path to Platinum

SUNY Oswego

Path to platinum

Presentation

Index

Sheldon

1.

Introduction

2.

Goals & Platinum

3.

The Past and Present

4.

Solutions & SMP

5.

References

hall

Introduction

Our school is currently certified as STARS Gold, but we can do better.

Throughout the past few months, I have taken steps to break down previous STARS reports to create a Path to Platinum for our University. We currently possess a Gold rating, which is within the point range of 65-84, and to achieve Platinum, it is anything above 85. This Path hopes to provide insight and a potential roadmap for improvment for our school.

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Goals & Platinum

2. How President Nwosu's Vision 4040 plays a role

1. Identify past and present points within STARS

4. STARS to a Sustainability Master Plan

3. NYS Carbon Neutrality

Our STARS Standing

Past and Present

The Past & Present of Oswego

SUNY Oswego started submitting reports to AASHE in 2011, and since then, we have climbed up to gold.

Our school still has a lot of room to improve, and we have been doing so. Slowly climbing up from silver to where we are today, nearing Platinum. In another few years, we will be able to achieve this accreditation and become a more sustainable institution. The rating system used to create the following charts is based on a 0-4 system.

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Credit explanation

Each credit has a different name. These abbreviations have general names for different types of credits. The ones you will see further include the following: AC = Academics, EN = Engagement, OP = Operations, PA = Planning & Administration, and finally IN = Innovation & Leadership.

Comparing the past & present

Comparing the past & present continued

What does all of this data represent?

You have just seen our previous performance in an overview in the previous few slides. We've been doing quite well, gaining points in 20 categories! We have room for improvement in 39 categories as of this edition of STARS, which is subject to change in 2026. Further into this presentation, some solutions will be listed and categorized by feasibility that our school can implement to achieve Platinum and help with the creation of a sustainability master plan.

Vision 4040 & Our School

How President Nwosu's Vision 4040 plays a role

Vision 4040 & Our Campus

Vision 4040 is a plan by our president that sets a general roadmap of our campus's goals and aspirations for the future up to 4040. STARS is becoming more and more focused on diversity and inclusion, as noted at the AASHE conference in Boston. Nwosu focuses on the efficient use of class space, which could bring us significant energy savings if VFD systems are implemented across our entire campus. The president advocates for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to encompass everyone in embracing their community and grow alongside one another.

What does sustainability entail though?

NYS Transition to renewable

New York State Carbon Neutrality

New York's goal is to reach zero-emission electricity by

2040

70% of renewable energy generation by 2030, and total economy neutrality by 2050

What is carbon neutrality

This video goes over carbon neutrality, what it is, and why it matters. (https://youtu.be/9pPsso2acew?si=wcVI4TblvygFeBbW)

Direct from NYSDERA

Some gains thus far

2+ Gigawatts

Over 393,000 homes can be powered by this amount, and there is another 3.3 gigawatts of solar in development

There has been "over 3000% growth in the solar sector since 2011" - NYSDERA.NY.GOV

165,000

Jobs in the clean energy sector

Of solar installed in New York

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$35 Billion in 120 Large scale projects

NYS and their goals for SUNY & CUNY

With the announcements of reaching carbon neutrality, there have been goals set for state schools to reach net neutrality as well. At SUNY Oswego, we have been in the process of producing a CEMP for this very reason. Some mandates that push this include the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act, EO 22, BuildSmart 2025, and SUCF 1B-2. In summary, they all target energy use reduction, renewable energy generation, and GHG reduction.

where we've been - Where we are - And Where we're going

(In relation to STARS)

2011 Enviormental Sustainability Roadmap (STARS Silver)

2012 Climate Action Plan

2021 STARS Silver Achieved

2023 STARS Gold Achieved

2026 & Beyond Platinum achieved and maintained

STARS Solutions and a Sustainability Master Plan

35 Potential Gains

Many aspects within STARS have the potential to grow, and for 35 of these categories, there are well over 35 potential solutions, but here, some will be highlighted to show what we can achieve before our 2026 STARS report.

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Points feasability table and how it applies to us

With a 0-4 Scale it makes a easy to follow system that can be updated in the future.

As previously shown, 0 represents that we can instantly implement the suggestion, or that it's free, and for feasibility that it is completely unfeasible.

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The begining of the potential solutions

The following solutions are sorted according to feasibility for our school implementing them, all solutions with a schedule of 1, and cost of 1 or less should be implemented before 2026. All cells marked N/A are maximum points.

Schedule

Budget

Feasability

The begining of the potential cont.

Each credit has a different name. As you have already seen, these abbreviations have general names for different types of credits. The ones you will see further include the following: AC = Academics, EN = Engagement, OP = Operations, PA = Planning & Administration, and finally IN = Innovation & Leadership.

AC-1 through AC-10

Within the first 10 credits, there are 3 potential credits for improvement. AC-1 & 2 are both academically related; thus, both stand to gain through adding more sustainability classes to a more diverse set of majors. Following up on that, AC-4 stands to gain through creating a graduate progam and sustainability major.

AC-11 through EN-9

AC-11 through EN-9 presents us with 4 solutions. The first solution is easily implementable by adding a peer review to our on-campus published works. This will be reintroduced later. The second solution is increased sustainability involvement and recorded activity.

AC-11 through EN-9 continued

We now have EN-6, with the solution of providing more possible compensation to receive more responses from sustainability-related surveys, as this is a driving factor for students. EN-7 similarly is also very feasible as we have over 98.3% of faculty participation. We only need 100% of staff to partake in the sustainability ambassador program.

EN-11 through OP-4

EN-11 gains points through travel and collaboration, which we may gain some here as Kate & Devin went to the AASHE Conference this year. For EN-12, our school could create a certificate program in relation to sustainability. EN-13's solution focuses on creating an easier report system for community service hours. EN-14 seeks for our campus to engage in more public policy, which seemed supported through Vision 4040.

EN-11 through OP-4 cont.

EN-15 seeks for us to gain third-party verification for workers' rights through the FLA and affiliation rights through the WRC. OP-1 could gain the last of its points if a gross scope 2 were provided (this is indirect emissions from power, heating, cooling, etc.) OP-2 is one of the most expensive but feasible solutions presented in our CEMP, which seeks to install wind or pv electric generation, with full geothermal hvac.

EN-11 through OP-4 cont.

OP-3 follows close behind OP-2, ensuring that our campus certifies all buildings by LEED or a similar program. OP-4 proposes providing buildings with sustainable operations & maintenance, although it requires policies and O+M certification.

OP-5 through OP-14

OP-5 proposes activity-based HVAC in all buildings, LED lighting, and energy-efficient windows, which we do not currently possess in every building. OP-6, much like OP-2, seeks wind / PV / and geothermal installations. OP-7 relies on locally procured and healthier foods. The USDA has noted that many local farms in Oswego County could sustain us. OP-8 similarly suggests a campus farmers market or food vendors which STARS seeks to see.

OP-5 through OP-14 cont.

OP-9 is a feasible solution for something we've been working on, which is 100% natural grounds management. OP-12 looks to purchase EPEAT-registered devices rather than uncertified ones in the future. OP-13 focuses on procuring only certified green cleaning supplies. OP-14 discusses the lack of 100% recycled paper, which we could easily implement.

OP-15 through OP-22

OP-15's goal is to have all campus transportation be fully sustainable. OP-16 encourages employees to use public transportation or to walk, which is somewhat unfeasible. OP-17's proposal is to bring back a car-sharing program, such as Zipcar. OP-18 seeks to create more gardens and find alternative waste use. OP-19 discusses recycling of construction materials, which we used to do but cut back on recently.

OP-15 through OP-22 cont.

OP-20 is an unfeasible solution due to the fact the nearest certified recyclers for us are located in either Syracuse or Rochester. OP-22, on the other hand, can be done before the 2026 STARS, which seeks to create a rainwater management policy.

PA-3 through PA-12

PA-3 requires non-academic staff to be on a governing body or board. PA-5's unfeasible solution is having 100% of students participate in cultural competence activities. PA-7 seeks a program that hires underrepresented people. PA-8 looks to reduce the cost of attendance across the board for students. PA-9 is for staff and students to provide investment reccomendations for the school.

PA-3 through PA-12 cont.

PA-10 follows on the coattails of PA-9 with sustainable business investment, which may not be suitable for us as they can be high-risk investments. PA-23 seeks a formal living wage for all staff on campus and it should increase for the price of inflation.

PA-13 through IN-47

PA-13 is one of the simplest things we can do: send a survey out to all employees to see how they feel about working at Oswego. This can be beneficial to help improve other facets of our school. PA-15 aims to implement a recognized health and safety standard (ex., ISO 45001) to reduce workplace injuries.

What we can do before 2026

Here, you will find listed all solutions with a 4 in feasibility (the max) in order from most points gained to least, which can hopefully be implemented before our next STARS report. Keep in mind solutions can change, and there are further unexplored variables within, but generally, they should be applicable solutions. A total gain of 9.58 points is possible. That would bring us to 78.63 of 85 needed for platinum. (Not including other gains or losses)

What we can do before 2026 chart

What we can do before 2026

EN-13 is our biggest potential gain, but it is also something that may take time to implement as there may be paperwork issues gaining third-party verification and joining worker's rights. OP-22, as stated before, can be made in a year or two, which is a rainwater management policy. PA-13 can be done in minutes even, which is sending out a survey to see how employees feel about working at Oswego.

What we can do before 2026

OP-14 is quick and easy... simply implementing a policy for our school to procure 100% recycled paper in the future. AC-11 is a quick implementation of peer review for professor-published work, which could be done through a committee or volunteers. PA-3 seeks non-academic staff to be on a governing body within the school. EN-6 is one of the simplest, which includes providing more student-orientated compensation to get more responses for sustainability surveys.

What we can do before 2026

OP-13 is yet another easy-to-implement change, which is to switch to only certified green cleaning supplies; while it might not be possible in some cases, we could try. OP-1 only needs us to provide a gross scope 2, which is outside GHG, such as emissions produced for electricity, etc. OP-8 looks for our campus to establish a farmers market or local farm vendor, which is very possible with the amount of farms in Oswego.

What we can do before 2026

Finally, wrapping up what we can do before 2026, we have EN-7. This is one of the easiest things to do. We only need 2.7% of employees to participate in SAP (Sustainability Ambassador Program) to reach 100%!

The cost of doing nothing

To understand the cost of carbon, we must understand what SC-CO2 is. SC-CO2 is called Supercritical carbon dioxide. This unit is used to measure the benefits of CO2 reduction through regulations. Unfortunately, there is no globally recognized value of carbon per ton but the EPA has their own.

The cost of doing nothing cont.

What are we looking at? On the left, we have a projected cost increase of carbon emissions up to 2050. The graph on the right shows natural CO2 emissions levels vs today. In simple terms, we have dramatically increased a natural phenomons speed by hundreds if not thousands of times.

How does Major Projects play a role in this on campus?

Hiring contractors allows for the growth of the renewable energy industry in NY

Leading our campus with sustainable building projects

Increased construction recycling and material re-use

Leading the charge with geothermal, thus reducing costs and GHG Emissions

Spreading awareness through STARS certification

Major Projects follows NYS standards such as EO-22

Growth from beyond this presentation

Where do we go from this presentation? In the coming few years, a Sustainability Master Plan will be formed, much like our CEMP. Data breakdowns from our STARS report can be cited and used as a reference and potential solutions for our school to implement, not just for a STARS platinum rating but for us to become a more sustainable campus. The Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) will be used to help our campus develop healthier growth in the future. The STARS data can continue to be developed by recording future scores for our campus to continue plotting and developing the most feasible plans for our campus.

questions?

Feel free to ask away!

Thank you for coming and listening!

References

https://reports.aashe.org/institutions/state-university-of-new-york-at-oswego-ny/report/https://storage.googleapis.com/stars-static/secure/104/8/722/6333/2021-2022_SUNY_Oswego_Annual_Report-high-res_FINAL-ua.pdf?X-Goog-Algorithm=GOOG4-RSA-SHA256&X-Goog-Credential=stars-gcs-dev%40aashe-migration.iam.gserviceaccount.com%2F20230926%2Fauto%2Fstorage%2Fgoog4_request&X-Goog-Date=20230926T144428Z&X-Goog-Expires=86400&X-Goog-SignedHeaders=host&X-Goog-Signature=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://townofoswego.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Town_of_Oswego_Zoning_Map_Nov_2009.pdfhttps://cms3.revize.com/revize/oswegocountyny/Catergories/Planning%20and%20Community%20Development/Zoning%20Maps/oswego%20zoning.pdfhttps://public.tableau.com/app/profile/anna.croyle/viz/SheldonI/FastFactshttps://public.tableau.com/app/profile/anna.croyle/viz/ComparingEarnings/ComparingEarningshttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1j2OSVkZ0qmd_92KkJ-gKFjcPLGwwfmcD/viewhttps://www.oswego.edu/institutional-research/institutional-research-and-assessmenthttps://www.nypa.gov/-/media/nypa/documents/document-library/cleanenergy/suny-clean-energy-roadmap.pdfhttps://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/chancellor/SUNY-Chancellor-Johnson-Comment-on-ED-Title-IX-Prop-Regs.pdfhttps://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=670https://www.workersrights.org/affiliates/become-an-affiliate/https://www.fairlabor.org/join/university/https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C3FY0Yx53lc8YsVwebmxJe0SGt9jFz2k/viewhttps://www.usgbc.org/tools/leed-certification/fees#recerthttps://thatscooperativeextension.org/resources/economic-impact-of-oswego-county-agriculturehttps://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=commercial+farms+in+oswego+county+#ip=1https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/County_Profiles/New_York/cp36075.pdfhttps://www.epa.gov/rcrahttps://e-stewards.org/https://sustainableelectronics.org/https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/290.htmlhttps://business.cornell.edu/programs/undergraduate/minors/sustainable-business-economic-policy/https://catalog.uconn.edu/minors/environmental-economics-policy/https://www.sgs.com/en-us/services/iso-45001-occupational-health-and-safety-management-systems-ohsmshttps://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2023-Announcements/2023-11-28-Governor-Hochul-Announces-More-Than-Two-Gigawatts-of-Community-Solarhttps://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2023-Announcements/2023-08-21-DEC-and-NYSERDA-Announce-Sept-15-Labor-Stakeholder-Roundtable-on-Cap-and-Invest-Prog https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-12/documents/sc_co2_tsd_august_2016.pdf https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide Green hex code color is #023020

A further expansion

After the breakdown of every category, different solutions were formed and rated based on a 0-4 scale, including things like schedule, budget, feasibility, and point gain.

November 28th, 2023

NYSDERA announced this to discuss ongoing solar operations within New York State. It further goes on to talk about goals of 10 gigawatts by 2030 and more further down the line.

Expanded

Continuing from here:

The 4 represents a very long time and a lot of money for the budget, while it also represents extremely feasible in terms of making it happen. The potential is there. It's up to us to get there.

STARS 26'

From the aashe Boston conference, we know the format is changing for STARS 26'.

So far, with the next STARS format, it seems there will be a transition from academics to diversity. Although little is known, we can only focus on what we know to do our best.

https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2023-Announcements/2023-08-21-DEC-and-NYSERDA-Announce-Sept-15-Labor-Stakeholder-Roundtable-on-Cap-and-Invest-Prog

Expanded

Continuing from here:

While we have had great success with growth and improved in some categories here as you will shortly see it does not mean that we can be complacient. Sustainability must be something that we strive for and work hard to achieve as our world is something we all share.