Environmental Reporting for the University of Michigan Ann Arbor Campus: the U-M Environmental Data Repository

Abstract

In April of 2004, The University of Michigan Environmental Task Force (ETF) issued their advisory report to President Mary Sue Coleman. This report, included as Appendix A, proposed an environmental assessment and reporting system that would allow the University to evaluate its progress with respect to environmental performance. The proposed measurement framework included six general categories of environmental performance, eight key environmental performance indicators, and 46 specific operational performance metrics. The acceptance of the ETF recommendations and the growing interest in annual environmental performance reporting at the University of Michigan have created the need for an environmental data tracking and management system. The ETF report implementation plan recognizes the need for "...an effective and efficient system...to manage the data throughout the reporting life cycle (i.e. collection, compilation, analysis, storage, reporting)." The ETF also identified "...central data compilation, data analysis, conversion to appropriate measurement units, [and] normalization..." as necessary components of environmental reporting. In response to these challenges, a team from the Center for Sustainable Systems has developed the University of Michigan Environmental Data Repository (EDR).