Since Lehigh’s Campus Sustainability Plan 2020 was formally released to the campus community in January 2017, Lehigh has made great progress toward several of its goals. In this article, we highlight key progress toward our goals in the areas of dining services, transportation, and buildings.
Operations
GOAL FOR 2020: Optimize fuel efficiency and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions of our vehicles.
The Lehigh University Police Department recently purchased 15-20 all electric golf carts for use by certain departments on campus. These golf carts will help optimize fuel efficiency and mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the Lehigh vehicle fleet.
Operations
GOAL FOR 2020: Offer complete protein vegan options at dining locations on campus.
Lehigh Dining Services now offers complete protein vegan options at dining locations across campus including Upper and Lower Cort, Rathbone, Brodhead, and Williams. Some of these complete protein vegan options include tofu noodle bowls, salads, garden veggie labretti, vegan chili, sweet & sour meatballs with seitan, lentil dal, and lab labi (a Tunisian chickpea stew).
Additionally, Rathbone and Lower Cort both have a dedicated vegetarian/vegan station with a variety of options daily.
Operations
GOAL FOR 2020: Establish sustainability building design and construction guidelines or policy to LEED Silver or equivalent standards.
All current capital projects are required to meet LEED Silver Certification guidelines. Pre-design studies for projects that are to advance as part of the Path to Prominence plan have included an array of options for meeting certification requirements, including stormwater controls and collection, advanced building envelopes, and sensors and controls to optimize energy use.
For the next three years, the Campus Sustainability Plan 2020 will guide departments and resources to advance our institutional commitment to sustainability through the implementation of goals. How will YOU help Lehigh reach its sustainability goals?