As an important step towards this goal, Fostering Sustainability was commissioned to carry out an Eco-Audit to evaluate the environmental impacts of Ashbury’s facilities and operations. The Eco-Audit assessed the College’s ecological footprint in terms of energy use (electricity and natural gas), water consumption, waste management and recycling, food services, housekeeping, paper consumption and other green purchasing opportunities. Fostering Sustainability also made recommendations as to how the College can reduce its ecological footprint in terms of reducing fossil fuel and water consumption, increasing waste minimization and recycling, reducing paper consumption and implementing green building, operations and purchasing practices.
The results of the Eco-Audit will provide a baseline that Ashbury can use to review and monitor the environmental performance of its facilities and operations. It also provides the basis upon which the College can develop its “green” road map for the future by setting targets that make sense, both an environmental, educational and an economic perspective, for managing the eco-footprint of existing and new buildings.
