The Eric P. Newman Education Center is part of the Washington University Medical Campus. The University has developed a university-wide sustainability initiative through its academics, research, operations, and community engagement and outreach. The strategic plan for Environmentally Sustainable Operations throughout the university aspires to achieve the following:

• Become a leader in resource conservation and support sustainable production of energy, food, and materials.
• Use the campus as an environment to test and demonstrate innovative sustainability ideas.
• Educate our community to be responsible stewards of limited resources.
• Involve our community of staff, students, faculty, alumni, and regional contacts in our sustainable operations efforts with continuing education.
• Partner with regional and national groups to expand knowledge of and access to best practices for building systems, transit, and sustainable materials.
• Consider and, when prudent, utilize certifications and sustainable endorsements to add independent validation to our endeavors.
• Continually measure our progress to ensure that we are meeting the goals of this report and that such goals remain appropriate.

Washington University has achieved the following results in its sustainable efforts throughout campus:

Reduce Our Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Energy, Building and Transportation Measures

• Switched from coal to natural gas for steam generation in 1992 on the Danforth Campus and 2001 on the Medical Campus, resulting in an immediate reduction in the emission of harmful pollutants.
• Reduced energy usage per square foot by 31.3% for the Danforth Campus and by 51.0% for the Medical Campus over the past 16 years.
• Decentralized steam plants on the Danforth Campus to more effectively and efficiently fulfill the heating and cooling needs of each building.
• Improved centralized steam and chilled water systems at the Medical Campus.
• Completed a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory in 2009 for all of our campuses that traces our energy usage from 1990 to the present.
• Constructed the Living Learning Center at Tyson Research Center, one of the first buildings in the world to be completed under the Cascadia Green Building Council’s Living Building Challenge, an environmental design model that requires buildings to provide their energy and water needs on-site, to source a majority of their building materials locally, and to have a zero-carbon construction footprint.
• Worked with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building program (LEED) to ensure that we are considering the most current sustainable building initiatives. Below are our LEED and living-building projects, with those in italics awaiting completion or certification.
• Provided at no cost to faculty, students and staff access to the entire local public transportation system, Metro. Metro service includes two stops at the Danforth Campus, one each at the Medical, West and North campuses, and campus circulator and bus service to all campus locations.
• Participated as the first partner with Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s WeCar car-sharing program for students, staff, and faculty.
• Offered employer-assisted housing program to encourage employees to move to nearby neighborhoods.
• Purchased ENERGY STAR electronic equipment whenever possible.
• Implemented a "no idling" policy for trucks and cars.

Achievements That Have Lessened Our Impact on the Waste System

• Joined the Responsible Purchasing Network, an organization dedicated to environmentally responsible procurement.
• Established an office supply substitution program so that greener alternatives of a product are automatically selected.
• Implemented a “green-cleaning” program on all of the campuses.
• Integrated recycling program for toner cartridges and electronics.
• Eliminated the sale of bottled water on the Danforth, North and West campuses.
• Provided used vegetable oil to be converted to biodiesel fuel by a third-party company.
• Implemented Single-stream recycling program on the Danforth, North and West campuses and comprehensive recycling at the Medical Campus.

Achievements That Have Lessened Our Impact on the Natural Environment

• Reduced potable water consumption per square foot by using storm and ground water for irrigation.
• Reduced potable water consumption inside buildings using Water Sense equipment.
• Installed native landscape on the Danforth Campus.

The Eric P. Newman Education Center has received Gold Tier recognition as a Leader in Environmental Responsibility from the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC). Our facility has signed the Code of Sustainability and has received the IACC Green Star which includes 55 tenets in the following areas:

• Education, Awareness & Public Declaration
• Waste Management
• Recycling
• Reuse
• Water Conservation
• Purchasing
• Energy Management
• Air Quality
• Food and Beverage

In addition to our commitment to sustainable operations and producing eco-friendly meeting experiences for our guests, the Eric P. Newman Education Center is located in the Central West End. We are steps from Forest Park, the “Crown Jewel” of St. Louis, where our guests will find miles of trails for biking, running, walking, and hiking. Forest Park offers golf, tennis, and skating throughout the seasons. We hope you enjoy the natural beauty of our neighborhood.