Wharton works toward more sustainability

Lowering the temperature in Huntsman Hall by two degrees made Wharton $20,000 richer. And no one noticed.

The experiment, launched by Wharton Associate Director of Sustainability and Leadership Emily Schiller, is only one of her programs to make Penn more sustainable.

“People are broadly really supportive of the idea of the sustainability initiative,” she said. “But it is challenging to get people to change their behavior. We have had to be really innovative.”

The idea to turn down the temperature in Huntsman to reduce energy usage was one of her most inventive ideas, and the most profitable.

“Huntsman is highly inefficient in terms of energy use and water use,” said College junior Doug Miller, who is a member of the Penn International Sustainability Association.

Other students say that while Wharton preaches the gospel of environmentally sustainable business, this is may not be reflected in its own practice.

“I haven’t seen any recycling bins in any of the classrooms or group study rooms in Huntsman,” wrote Wharton sophomore Amelia Wilson in an e-mail.

Wilson, who works with the student Eco-Reps program through Facilities and Real Estate Services, added, “most of the waste I see in those trash bins is either paper, food or beverage containers, which are all recyclable.”

Wharton sophomore Lena Evans also observed a lack of paper recycling bins in Huntsman, adding that recycling is “not particularly” emphasized at Wharton.

The Wharton Sustainability Program is working to change that.

We are working on “energy, recycling, and everything in between,” Schiller said.

For example, the program is conducting a lighting study to determine the feasibility of motion sensors and timers in different rooms, which eliminate unnecessary electricity use. She estimates that these efforts could save about $40,000 a year in electricity costs.

Schiller is also working on a project to overhaul recycling in Huntsman Hall. She aims to increase the number of recycling bins and change student’s attitudes about recycling.

Although recycling “doesn’t add up to huge savings,” Schiller said, “it is part of our responsibility to the planet and to our students and the rest of the community.”

Furthermore, the project will help Penn reach the goals of the Climate Action Plan — launched in 2009 by Penn President Amy Gutmann — which promises to reduce the University’s carbon footprint and enhance its overall sustainability.

Wharton School Dean Thomas Robertson is extremely supportive of new initiatives and new classes to promote sustainability, Wharton professor Erwann Michel-Kerjan said, adding that he has “seen a growing demand from the students in terms of sustainability.”

This reflects a national movement for businesses to become more sustainable, Schiller said.

“Fifteen to 20 years ago, businesses didn’t want to spend the money on helping the environment. Now, they have to,” Michel-Kerjan added.

The change in attitude stems from “environmental risks that make sustainability necessary and consumers [who] are demanding it more and more.”

“Our generation is going to look for companies and brands to represent what we believe in,” Miller said.

“Sustainability has proven itself to be beyond a fad,” Schiller added.

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