Auburn is the only university in the state of Alabama to have signed it.īy signing the Carbon Commitment, Auburn certified that all operations of the university will be carbon-neutral by 2050. Created specifically for colleges and universities, institutions are encouraged to sign the commitment to reduce climate disturbance and greenhouse gas emissions. Joshi in the Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, “sick building syndrome (SBS) is used to describe a situation in which the occupants of a building experience acute health- or comfort-related effects that seem to be linked directly to the time spent in the building.” Symptoms of SBS may include dizziness, eye, nose, or throat irritation, difficulty in concentration and nausea.Īnother crucial step taken by the university was signing the Climate Leadership Network’s Carbon Commitment in 2008. “ a 30% reduction in sick building syndrome in certified buildings because they’re built to be more environmentally and human health responsible,” explained Kensler.Īccording to Sumedha M. Implementing these building standards can also improve the overall health of students. So, for example, the ACLC is a LEED-certified building and test scores have gone up in there,” Kensler commented. “According to the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard, LEED-certified buildings show a 26% improvement in cognitive ability. Policies like this one are making a considerable difference not only to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at Auburn but also to the success and well-being of its students. Kensler says that adopting the LEED building standards was one of the most impactful steps taken by the university to reach its sustainability goals. According to the USGBC website, the rating system is intended to “provide a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings, which offer environmental, social and governance benefits.” Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. One of the ways colleges across the country, including Auburn, are making a difference is through the U.S. That includes everybody that makes sure that the planet itself thrives because if the planet doesn’t thrive, we don’t thrive,” Kensler said. “Sustainability is about making sure that the world that shows up is one we want to live in, one that’s healthy, just, fair. The office helped create the university's sustainability policy to reach its goal of being a “national leader in sustainability teaching, research, research outreach, and practice.” (EETV) – On college campuses with tens of thousands of students, hundreds of buildings and thousands of megawatts of energy consumed throughout the school year, sustainability is a complicated practice.Īuburn University has its own Office of Sustainability, directed by Mike Kensler.