Four Schools to Join The Billion Dollar Green Challenge

We are excited to announce four institutions joining The Billion Dollar Green Challenge: Champlain College, the University of La Verne, Portland State University, and Pine Cobble School. The Challenge now includes a total of 41 institutions participating with a combined total of $75 million invested in self-managed green revolving funds (GRFs).

Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont is our sixth school from Vermont to join The Challenge. Champlain created a $100,000 GRF that will fund projects to reduce the College’s environmental impact, engage stakeholders in the implementation process, and generate financial returns for the campus. Ten percent of their savings will be put toward a Green Community Fund, which will finance smaller community-led projects that do not yield monetary savings, but are in clear alignment with the College’s sustainability objectives.

The University of La Verne in California committed to growing a $400,000 GRF to demonstrate the institution’s ongoing commitment to environmental issues. The GRF aims to reduce the institution’s carbon footprint and lower operating expenses. The fund is also intended to help develop living laboratories where La Verne students can be exposed to hands-on sustainability efforts and projects, which further enhances their intellectual exposure to such issues in the classroom.

Portland State University in Oregon created their GRF to support reducing energy use and further climate action goals on campus. Their $500,000 fund will be used to implement energy efficiency projects that demonstrate a strong return on investment and produce environmental benefits. The College will also use the GRF to prioritize deferred maintenance projects which conserve resources.

Pine Cobble School in Williamstown, Massachusetts is our second K-12 school to join The Challenge. Pine Cobble is a co-educational day school for children in preschool through ninth grade. They have committed to growing a $100,000 GRF to meet financial and sustainability goals established by their Board of Trustees. The school seeded the GRF with a portion of their endowment.