What did Geneseo do Before the Office of Sustainability?

Check out Archived Geneseo Sustainability in the News Sustainability News

Check out CAS's commitments to Sustainability CAS Sustainability

President's Climate Commitment

On June 26, 2007, Geneseo signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment to pursue climate neutrality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"The ultimate goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 with less than 20% of the reduction at that time through purchased, off-site carbon credits." -Geneseo CAP

SUNY Geneseo has already received widespread recognition for creating the Geneseo Public Bus Service provided by the Livingston Area Transportation Service. By serving students and the community with trips to Rochester destinations, the buses have reduced car trips to the campus. Student ridership has increased from 43,000 in 2002-03 to more than 100,000 this year.

Geneseo has also been recognized as one of the top 300 "Green" schools by the Princeton Review. 

Green Buildings

Seneca Residence Hall is Gold LEED-certified. It incorporates geothermal heating and bio-retention ponds.

The new Integrated Science Center was designed to be 20% more efficient than the energy code and received $27,000 in incentives from NYSERDA.

Energy Reduction

In 2001 the heating plant went through a multimillion dollar rehabilitation project. For a full summary of the plant's changes, see this document.

Geneseo on-campus housing has participated in a student run "Kill-a-Watt" contest  yearly since November 2007. This contest was created to see which dorm could save the most energy over the course of a month. Click here for energy saving ideas.

The College installed variable speed drives for HVAC systems in 2008 for improved monitoring and usage, saving $16,000 annually.

The College uses electric cars and hybrid fuel models.

SUNY Geneseo has already received widespread recognition for creating the Geneseo Public Bus Service provided by the Livingston Area Transportation Service. By serving students and the community with trips to Rochester destinations, the buses have reduced car trips to the campus. Student ridership has increased from 43,000 in 2002-03 to more than 100,000 this year.

High Efficiency Laundry Machines

In the start of the fall 2007 semester, all of the washing and drying machines on the south side of campus were replaced with high-efficiency front loading washers and dryers that significantly reduce water and energy usage.  This included 39 washing machines and 39 dryers.  By the end of the year, over 490,000 gallons of water were saved on the south side of campus due to the introduction of the new laundry machines.  In addition to the water saved, the laundry machines require significantly less laundry detergent and remove excess water from clothes, reducing the amount of time and energy needed to dry them.

In fall of 2008, we have converted all of the laundry machines in the center of campus to the high-efficiency models.  This includes 39 washing machines and 39 dryers.  In fall of 2009,the washing machines on the north side of campus were converted.

Recycling/Reuse

Through “Geneseo Gives Back”, the College diverts an estimated 15 tons of material from landfills at the end of every academic year by collecting furniture, small appliances and other hard goods left by students. The materials are donated to local charities to help others in need, including clothing donations to St. Pauly Textiles to aid worldwide disaster relief. Annual disposal cost savings: $12,000.

The College operates recycling programs for printer cartridges and toner; paper; plastic; metal; and other items as filed in an annual report to the Office of Governmental Services. Approximately 200 tons were collected April 1, 2006 – March 31, 2007.

The Recyclemania competition during the spring 2010 semester ranked Geneseo #3 out of the SUNY schools for the waste minimization competition. Geneseo generated 39.73 pounds of waste per person (including recyclables and trash).

CAS delivers recycling bins as part of their catering setup for deliveries that include bottled water or canned soda.

Environmental Innovation

The College designed an Integrated Pest Management System to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides. In addition, Geneseo Custodial Services was one of the first within SUNY to begin using “green” cleaning products.

Long-Term Commitment to Conservation

In 2006, Geneseo convened a 12-member Environmental Impact and Sustainability Task Force which grew to a 20-member committee comprising employees and student representatives to develop a strategic plan to further reduce, reuse, and recycle resources. Since then, the task force has been converted to the Comission and the Office of Sustainability.