An Environmentally-Conscious Campus
Middlebury College has positioned itself as a leading environmentally-conscious institution and is one of the first colleges/universities in the world to achieve carbon neutrality. A core part of the college’s mission statement emphasizes “addressing the world’s most challenging problems” – a vision that the community has actively pursued through its deep commitment to environmentalism and sustainability. By creating a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2016, this vision has come to fruition, though the journey hasn’t always been easy. Nevertheless, it is a testament to the college’s faculty, administration, and students that such an ambitious goal was achieved.
After exploring various renewable energy options, the school decided to install solar panels, construct a biomass plant, and preserve 2,100 acres of forest to serve as a carbon sink, thereby achieving carbon neutrality.
LeShaun Warner in front of the Biomass facility at Middlebury College.
Steps to Achieve A Carbon-Neutral Campus
The 2008 construction of the biomass gasification plant burns locally sourced wood chips to meet most of the campus’s heating and cooling needs and co-generates 15-20% of its electricity—all while staying carbon neutral. The shift from fuel oil to biomass reduced Middlebury’s carbon footprint by 40-50%. This saved the college $1-2 million annually in fuel costs.
In 2012, Middlebury College acquired a solar power farm, marking a significant step toward sustainability. Two years later, in 2014, the Trustees approved the permanent conservation of 2,100 acres of forested land known as Bread Loaf, a property owned by the college. This preserved forest acts as a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generating carbon credits. These credits were instrumental in offsetting the college's remaining emissions, enabling Middlebury to achieve carbon neutrality in 2016.
A Conversation with the Dean of Environmental Affairs
As a student involved with the Middlebury Environmental Council, I was already familiar with the steps that helped carbon neutrality come to exist on campus, but I was more curious about the internal challenges and details of the process. The timeline of events highlights the key milestones, but leaves out the human element of collaboration and determination, as revealed in my conversation with Jack Byrne, Dean of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability.
LeShaun Warner and Jack Byrne (Dean of Environmental Affairs at Middlebury College)
I interviewed Jack Byrne about the 2016 Carbon Neutrality Project. Our conversation began with the initial reaction of the Middlebury community regarding carbon neutrality. He mentioned that when the idea was first proposed, focusing on climate change was much less of a priority than it is today, and although there wasn’t much pushback from the Middlebury community, there was quite a bit of skepticism on how much time and resources the college should be investing in this initiative. Nevertheless, Middlebury had already begun to present itself as a leader in Environmentalism. Byrne notes, “Middlebury has been known for being environmentally conscious, but now it was time for us to walk our talk." With this in mind, key members of the community felt compelled to take action.
We talked about how students inspired the commitment to environmentalism. “It was a student who first calculated Middlebury’s emission inventory as part of a senior thesis. From this, the Environmental Council realized the need to mitigate the school’s carbon footprint, and a subcommittee was formed to focus on the CRI (Carbon Reduction Initiative). The CRI set preliminary goals that eventually snowballed into the 2016 Carbon Neutrality goal.” It was a slow process that involved meetings with various stakeholders. For example, Byrne mentioned how “Students were required to meet with Middlebury’s financial risk officers to assess the maximum financial risk associated with building the biomass facility. They then needed to report their findings to the college president.” These efforts culminated in the President signing the Climate Commitment, a monumental step forward for environmentalism at Middlebury.
We discussed that the process involved meticulous coordination with students and administration. Students and faculty worked in tandem with the administration to organize and approve plans that collectively worked together to drive the school’s carbon emissions down.
A Major Win & Learning Tool
Byrne recalls, “One of the most rewarding aspects of this process was that students could experience this change by looking back and realizing palpable accomplishments.” Middlebury has reduced its carbon emissions each year since achieving carbon neutrality in 2016 and moves forward with new initiatives for the future. Nevertheless, I wanted to know how such a monumental achievement drives more enthusiasm and acts as a marketing tool for the admissions office. Byrne agreed that the achievement was a major win for the school and that it certainly has a role in the image that Middlebury presents of itself. However, he added a more nuanced perspective, “It’s not just a major win for the college, but also a learning tool for the community. We must keep thinking about how we can learn from our previous work to help us be successful in the future.”
Setting the Stage for the Future
Looking ahead, Byrne noted an emerging concern for justice and equity, highlighting that the Middlebury community is increasingly aware of how their actions impact different communities in varied ways. The school is now orchestrating Energy 2028, a roadmap for Middlebury’s commitment to environmentalism for the future. Of all its goals, the most ambitious is to transition to 100% renewable energy, which will be the most difficult project Middlebury has worked on yet. Remaining cognizant that the path to this success has been long and tedious will be important as the school encounters even taller obstacles. Nevertheless, by remaining steadfast in its mission, Middlebury continues to inspire future leaders to think boldly, act responsibly, and envision a sustainable world.
Article by LeShaun Warner, Middlebury College ‘26, Sustainability Intern for Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants
