Administration Approved Recommendations

In January 2008, President Ruth Simmons thanked the members of the Energy and Environmental Advisory Committee for contributing their valuable time to working so hard on researching Brown’s challenges and opportunities with regard to Greenhouse Gas emissions and for providing Brown with an excellent set of recommendations and implementation strategies.

Brown University seeks to take a leadership role in committing to real and substantive Greenhouse Gas reductions. As a result, President Simmons was pleased to announce the following:

• Brown will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 42 percent below 2007 levels (equivalent to 15 percent below 1990 levels) for existing buildings. Interim goals will be set as soon as possible and monitored annually;
• Brown will limit greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy consumption for all newly constructed facilities to between 25 percent and 50 percent below the standard required by state code. New construction will, at a minimum, meet a silver standard in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), furthering sustainability goals;
• Brown will reduce greenhouse gas emissions for all newly acquired facilities by a minimum of 15 percent and as much as 30 percent.