wfn.org | UCC national offices receive sustainability audit

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

UCC national offices receive sustainability audit

> Written by Gregg Brekke
> December 7, 2009

Completing its semester-long audit of environmental sustainability at
the UCC's national offices, a team from Baldwin-Wallace College
presented their report and recommendations to building personnel and
covenanted ministries staff Dec. 1, 2009.

Nearly 25 undergraduate students in Baldwin-Wallace's Green Business
class were part of the project. Each was assigned to a team that
surveyed various operational aspects of the UCC's Cleveland operations.

The teams, directed by Professor David A. Krueger, were divided into
six functional areas for analysis: Water and Waste; Social
Sustainability; Mission, Values and Vision; Materials and Purchasing;
Aesthetics and Energy Consumption.

Seeking to train students to meld "ecology and economics in a world
that is ever changing and ever challenged," Baldwin-Wallace is one of
only a handful of institutions offering an undergraduate degree in
environmental sustainability. Emphasis tracks include science, social
sciences/humanities and business administration.

The Rev. Catherine Rolling, UCC minister for environmental justice,
called the group's effort "an honest look from the outside" at how
closely the mission and objectives of sustainable and green efforts
compared to the actual practices employed.

"It's wonderful for me to figure out how the UCC is doing and for you
to refer to our mission statement and resolutions," Rolling told the
students. "Your work helps us qualify our commitment to sustainability."

A scorecard approach wasn't used by the teams to measure alignment
with the UCC's vision and values for sustainability, although they did
give high marks for current efforts while presenting the building and
staff with opportunities for additional ecological and cost savings.

A sampling of the environmental recommendations included converting
the building's rooftop to a garden or solar panel array, the
installation of air-force hand driers instead of paper towels, using
natural lighting and lower-voltage light solutions, installation of
dual-flow toilet flush devices and replacement of the heating and
cooling system.

Of equal importance to the team's recommendations were aesthetic
considerations and social sustainability. Aesthetic recommendations
included reconfiguration of office space for maximum utilization,
adding color and art to the offices' otherwise "industrial gray"
walls, installing more efficient storage systems and the addition of
live plants to decrease building toxins.

Social sustainability points toward the hope that area businesses
would become aware of the UCC's presence and their green efforts,
joining with the UCC to encourage local sustainability.

"So much [of the benefit] is about local sustainability," said
Krueger. "Too many of your downtown neighbors perceive you in a
non-existent way. They have no concept of what the UCC is doing and
advocating for regarding sustainability."

On this point, Derek Duncan, Wider Church Ministries associate for
global advocacy and education and a member of the UCC's sustainable
purchasing team, noted possible difficulties in merging the many areas
of responsibility present in global and local ecological connections.

"Because we deal with national and international issues, we sometimes
miss our connectivity with the local community," said Duncan. "It's
helpful to see how we can be a good neighbor to our immediate
community in addition to our national and international partners."

As with many sustainability efforts, the initial outlay of capital for
these modifications is a consideration that may influence the speed of
deployment said Alan Wolf, the UCC's business manager for property and
insurance. Other factors are cultural such as the positioning and use
of recycling containers and using alternative water filtration systems.

Overall, Wolf called the group's work "very impressive," and added,
"It's good to see the backup for some of the things we've been trying
to do to fulfill our environmental sustainability goals. Your report
supports those efforts with its research and facts."

Wolf noted lighting replacement, insulation and other energy
efficiency measures have been undertaken by his building services team
over the last several years. A new cooling system is scheduled to be
installed over the 2009 Christmas holiday. All these efforts are major
energy and cost saving moves for the building.

Rolling noted education and behavior changes will provide additional
savings and bring staff in alignment with the UCC's sustainability
goals. "It's an ongoing commitment," she said.

No timeline has been set for implementing the group's recommendations.
No-cost and low-cost items will be considered first with capital
intensive projects considered for later. "I'm especially excited about
the possibility of a rooftop gardening project," said Rolling,
conceding it was one of the more costly projects.

"I'm just thrilled to think that all this is possible," she said.