The three new residential buildings on the South 40 have won the second highest level of environmental certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, Washington University announced Thursday.

A plan outlining Washington University’s aspirations for reducing energy use has largely been met with skepticism on campus.
The “Energy Reduction Committee Report” describes the university’s findings regarding past energy use, and specifically defines its goals for future reduction set forth in the Strategic Plan for Environmentally Sustainable Operations.

Cupples II, which currently houses the University’s School of Engineering, will undergo an interior renovation this September. The newly renovated Cupples II will become an Arts & Sciences building.

I have been rather put off by the “sustainability” program that’s ramping up at Washington University. Before I get there, however, let me qualify that statement a bit. I’m a fan of the LEED certification that adorns some of the buildings.

Five committees established by the administration have set benchmarks to help Washington University become a more sustainable institution through the coming decades. The committees, which started meeting at the beginning of the semester, are Energy & Climate, Buildings & Grounds, Dining Services, Transportation and Purchasing & Materials Management. Matt Malten, assistant vice chancellor for sustainability, [...]

While the Danforth University Center’s planners have made efforts for the building to be environmentally friendly, the center’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, which signifies how “green” the building is, will not occur until early 2010.

Why is it that the University cannot become carbon neutral? Why is it that only some of the new buildings are LEED certified to the gold standard? And why is it that Vice Chancellor of Sustainability Matt Malten has been virtually invisible to students while he spent a year collecting data?