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Our Mission

Serving our campuses in Washington Heights, Murray Hill, Greenwich Village and Queens, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­'s Office of Energy and Sustainability has a multi-faceted mission to:

• Develop campus cultures of environmental awareness. To motivate building occupants to use less energy through changes in personal or organizational behavior.
• Incorporate the ideals of sustainability into our academic programs, policies, planning and existing operations
• Manage energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions through best practices that include energy supply management, renewable energy sources (onsite and offsite), existing building energy upgrades and retrofits, green engineering, low impact mechanical systems, integrated planning, project development, and life cycle cost analysis, with management systems, advanced controls, and active monitoring
• Complement existing University processes, programs, and projects by providing expert advice and assistance related to facility best practices, smart planning, green design, low impact green  construction to achieve high performance EUI targets, efficient operation and preventative maintenance

The College is a member of the Association for Advancement in Sustainability for Higher Education (AASHE) to help guide efforts in reducing its carbon footprint. Currently, Yeshiva utilizes this membership as a way to connect to other institutions of higher education and also is considering AASHE’s benchmarking system, STARS (Sustainability Tracking and Rating System) for the future. 

Policies

Sustainability Policy

As an institution of higher learning, we have a responsibility to lead by example, in developing a sustainable way of life. By embracing sustainability, the University furthers its mission to:

Environmental Stewardship

• Advance the community's awareness and understanding about sustainability.

Education

• Promote sustainable behavior through education for students, faculty, and staff.
• Instill in university constituents a thorough understanding of the concepts of sustainability and possess a sense of responsibility for the future.

Outreach

• Promote awareness and involvement of government, foundations and industry in addressing the need to move toward an environmentally sustainable future.
• Encourage local communities to live and grow sustainably.

Environmentally Preferable Procurement Policy

As part of a greater commitment to sustainability, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ has established an Environmentally Preferable Procurement (EPP) Policy. The goal of this policy is to make Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and surrounding communities healthier and more environmentally friendly places.

Download Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­'s EPP Policy (PDF)

Energy Conservation Policy

Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ spends nearly $6 million annually on energy and utilities each year. The largest component is the electricity bill at about $3 million. Additionally, 80% of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­'s Greenhouse Gas Emissions coming from on campus energy usage. Thus energy conservation and efficiency can be highly effective in reducing the University's operational costs as well as its overarching impacts on the environment. Contained in this policy are procedures, responsibilities, exemptions and requirements for reducing energy consumption university-wide.