Statement of Chancellor John D. Wiley on climate pledge

(Note: For more on the We Conserve energy initiative and other campus energy efforts, contact: Faramarz Vakili, (608) 265-2757, fvakili@fpm.wisc.edu)

May 9, 2007

“I will not be signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. I believe it is ill-advised to sign a pledge in which the goals are poorly defined and where the cost to taxpayers is unknown.

While I agree with our obligation to be sustainable, I disagree with the process the document establishes. Moreover, I do not believe I have the authority to make such long-term and costly obligations for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

We recognize the importance of an environmental ethic, and have worked extensively to minimize the campus’ impact on the environment.

Our environmental pledge doesn’t come in a document prepared elsewhere dictating the terms of how we run our campus. Our commitment will be local, well-planned and within our ability to deliver meaningful results.

We will continue to strengthen our efforts to safeguard environmental quality using tools that are effective, practical, thoughtful and affordable.

The university recently completed a Campus Master Plan for its building, transportation, and utility needs for the next 20 years – a plan that focuses heavily on sustainability. It is clear that some parts of our utility infrastructure are old and inefficient and will need hundreds of millions of dollars of investment to upgrade and expand.

We are now involved in engineering studies to understand our options, including available technologies capable of burning alternative and biomass fuels to meet the university’s energy needs while reducing overall emissions.

Actions based on these studies will require approval and funding from the Board of Regents, the state Department of Administration, and the state Legislature. Therefore, I am not in a position to unilaterally commit the university to any specific course of action, including those proposed in the group’s Climate Commitment.

I think it is unwise to commit taxpayers’ resources based on a document that lacks such baseline information as a clear definition of “climate neutrality.”

The state Legislature expects us to act responsibly and plan deliberately. Signing this document would make long-term commitments that are outside of an appropriate planning framework.

We have already committed to including LEED in planning for new buildings, but not at a specific level, which could obligate the university for costs that are not yet known.

The document also calls for potential changes to our curriculum mandating certain classes for all students, a decision that is also outside of my sole purview.

The university has more than 20 million gross square feet of building space for its health care, research, instructional, and residential facilities. Our plans for the future will add several million square feet to that total.

That makes it crucial that all decisions regarding our energy production, distribution, and consumption ensure a reliable, redundant, and uninterrupted supply of utilities to our facilities.

But our work on environmental issues has been wide-ranging. UW-Madison is dedicated to adopting and promoting environmentally and socially sound policies and practices.

During the past six years under the Wisconsin Energy Initiative, we have invested more than $29 million to improve the energy efficiency of the campus and to reduce our energy use.

That ongoing, award-winning effort led to installation of 200,000 energy saving lights, 10,000 occupancy sensors, 6,000 energy-saving lights, more than 3,000 ultra-low-flow toilets, 2,000 premium efficiency motors and a variety of other improvements.

Additionally, the university has begun the We Conserve energy-saving initiative that aims to instill a lifelong energy conservation ethic in our campus community and reduce average energy consumption per square foot by 20 percent by 2010.

We are committed to the success of We Conserve and believe that achieving these goals will be a wise investment. We are also a founding member of the Dane County Clean Air Coalition.

Our fleet of diesel-powered vehicles became the first in Wisconsin to switch to a blend of ultra-low sulfur diesel and soybean-based bio-diesel fuel to help improve air quality.

As outdated, energy-inefficient buildings are demolished, and new facilities are constructed, we are keenly aware of our role as stewards of the environment. For example, when Ogg Hall is razed later this summer, 75 percent of the old residence hall will be recycled.

And green design is playing a growing role in our new facilities, such as the new Microbial Sciences Building, which will feature the campus’ first designed “green roof.” The roof will help reduce storm water run-off by using plants in a lightweight soil that will soak up rainwater that falls on the roof.

We have also incorporated other sustainable design components, such as day-lighting, energy-efficient glass and high R-value insulation into our projects. And we have studied using technologies such as geothermal energy where efficient and cost-effective.

These are just a few examples of our continuing efforts to reduce our impact on the environment and better manage energy use.”