As the infrastructure of UTC steadily and significantly improves, it quietly reduces its carbon footprint. Their efforts have been recognized.
The Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota Motor North America, Inc., have designated UTC as a 2011 Tree Campus USA. The national program “honors higher education institutions and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.”
UTC earned this recognition by achieving five core standards for sustainable campus forestry required by Tree Campus USA, including establishment of a tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and the sponsorship of student service-learning projects.
“Your diligence in improving the environment and quality of life at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga contributes to a healthier, more sustainable world for us all,” said Mary Widhelm, program manager, Arbor Day Foundation.
Additionally, UTC’s “longstanding commitment to green power” led to its nomination and selection to receive the University Green Power Leadership Award.
By purchasing green power with the student-approved green fee “the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga is supporting the development of clean renewable energy in Tennessee,” according to Reagan Richmond, Campus Programs director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
Since 2010, the Southern Alliance for Clean has “recognized individuals and institutions actively supporting a clean and efficient energy future through campus initiatives at the Summit for Campus Sustainability.” UTC was recognized at the Green Power Switch Leadership Awards dinner held in Memphis as part of the 2012 Tennessee Valley Solar Solutions Conference.