by Marilyn Thomsen

At Pomona College’s Frank Dining Hall, tens of thousands of dollars have been saved on food that previously would have been wasted, thanks to a food scale and camera almost too small to notice. And, fine tuning the HVAC system in Bridges Auditorium cut natural gas use by 57% and in Harwood Court by 60%, and reusing, recycling and composting diverted 51% of campus waste.

All this according to Pomona College’s recently released 2025 save sustainable action report.  The report indicates the school has made significant strides toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, and identifies areas for further improvement.

The report, published each fall, uses 2014 as a baseline year and tracks Pomona’s progress, according to Alexis Reyes, director of sustainability and energy management.

“This year’s report highlights how staff, students and faculty are all contributing to sustainability in ways both big and small,” Reyes said. “Whether through research, daily operations or creative projects, these collective efforts are what drive our progress each year.”

Energy and greenhouse gas emissions

The college saw a 7.5% drop in greenhouse gas emissions, its highest outside of a pandemic year. Energy emissions have been reduced by 40% and overall emissions are now down 19% since 2014.

Energy use decreased by 7% last year. The college now consumes 30% less energy per year than in 2014.

The team, which included HVAC, energy management and project management, analyzed heating and air conditioning scheduling, temperature setpoints and equipment efficiency in 37 campus buildings. The goal of the optimization program was to reduce energy consumption without compromising occupant comfort.

Electricity efficiency saw Mason Hall using 35% less, and Carnegie Hall down 23%. Energy savings across campus totaled 15.6 million KBTUs of energy and lowered utility costs by $295,000.

Water

The school saw a 10% increase in water consumption this year due to a major year-over-year decrease in rainfall, from 30 inches in 2023-24 to only 12 inches in 2024-25, requiring more irrigation in the current year.

Since 2014, campus water use has been cut by 40%, due in part to increased use of native and drought-tolerant plants and student-led surveys that have identified areas where grass can be removed.

Food

A pilot program using MetaFoodX technology helped reduce food waste by right-sizing production to match diners’ choices. Each tray of food bound for specified serving bays is weighed, temperature-tested and photographed before and after being placed out for service. The system calculates how much is consumed, which benefits menu planning and purchasing.

It also helps identify which leftovers are safe to be donated to programs for people in the community experiencing food insecurity. “So far we’ve avoided over 7,000 pounds of food waste,” said Pomona Dining Service General Manager Jose Martinez.

Martinez said 27% of food purchases had at least one sustainability certification, a decline of 4% over last year, mainly attributed to higher meat costs, especially beef. On the plus side, nearly half of produce was sourced locally.

“We try to buy fresh by season,” Martinez said. “We’ve upgraded the salad bar to whatever is in season.”

Transportation

Transportation emissions decreased 8% this year. Since 2014, the total reduction is 4%.

Air travel accounts for 71% of transportation emissions.

Since 2022, Pomona has been buying verified offsets for all student, faculty and staff travel associated with study away “to reduce our carbon footprint and set an example for peers in the field,” according to Nicole Desjardins Gowdy, senior director of the Office of International and Domestic Programs.

Faculty single-occupancy-vehicle commuting has decreased by 40% since 2014, despite a 12% increase in the number of faculty.

Staff saw a 10% increase in miles driven since 2014, while the number of staff grew by 13%. The average staff member’s commute is 14.2 miles; a faculty member’s is 7.9 miles. Home prices in Claremont have increased faster than the national average since 2000, pushing many staff to more affordable areas further from campus.