UNMC and Nebraska Medicine received the Friend of the Environment Business Award during Earth Day ceremonies in Omaha on Saturday.
We are exceedingly proud to accept this award, and thankful for the recognition of sustainability’s connection to health. Here’s what they had to say about us:
While their work is energy intensive, they have made great strides reducing emissions and improving health by finding ways to dramatically reduce energy use. The reductions in energy from 2010-2017 resulted in more than 251,000,000 kilowatt hours not being consumed and not producing 237,338 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. This reduction in pollution impacts all of us, but especially those with lung ailments and can be tied to more than $20 million in direct medical costs and associated societal costs, and they just installed the largest rooftop solar array in Nebraska.
They created TravelSmart — an active transportation program that is free for all students and employees and removes approximately 700 cars a day from the streets, drastically reducing emissions. It is being replicated by others in Omaha due to its success.
They are continuously working to reduce waste while increasing the amount that is recycled — diverting more than 12 million pounds away from the landfill in the last nine years.
They have worked to reduce water use and have made reductions of more than 37 million gallons a year while maintaining quality green spaces, planting native plants, installing rain gardens, and being a Tree Campus USA with the Arbor Day Foundation for the sixth consecutive year.
This is an impressive feat given that they have added more than one million square feet of built space in the same time. They are recognized leaders in this region, not only helping to educate its thousands of students, staff, and visitors but also driving change in other local businesses. Their impressive”2030 goals” help to drive their success, and by providing resources and opportunities to employees/students, it maximizes impact and helps our community in countless seen and unseen ways. They are the only medical center/hospital in the region with these goals and one of only eight hospitals in the entire country with a Net Zero Emissions goal.
Thank you to the Earth Day Omaha Board for bestowing us with this honor, and to all of the students and colleagues who have changed a habit and helped us to achieve these goals.
Melanie, Thank you for everything you do on this campus. Your efforts will change behaviors city-wide and beyond!
Congrats on this well-deserved award, Melanie!
Congratulations Melanie for the success of the Live Green Program at UNMC and NM! You work very hard to educate and drive us all to be better. Every little bit helps and you've done a magnificent job of demonstrating how small changes add up to big improvements.
So very proud of our progressive sustainability efforts and team. Well deserved!
Congratulations Melanie on such an accomplishment. You make me proud to work for UNMC knowing there is concern for the environment and real action happening right here!
Thank you all for your kind words. Thank YOU for all the work you have done to change your behavior, tell others, and helping to make this a priority! This truly is a group award with so many people contributing in so many ways–the guys at the Utility Plants on campus, LiveGreen Ambassadors, Energy Group, the list goes on and on! The combined effort is exceedingly impactful on the world around us; improving health both short and long term, saving resources, and saving money. Thank you all!!