Even while it increased its student population and renovated and expanded buildings, the University of New Hampshire reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent from mid-2003 to mid-2005, according to an emissions inventory from the Office of Sustainability. Here's what the campus did:

q Increase Wildcat Transit ridership to and from surrounding communities by 72 percent, taking over 750 cars off the road.

q Continued adding light occupancy sensors, and heating and cooling sensors to campus buildings. In May, UNH became the first university in the country to have dorms awarded the Energy Star certification.

q Increased use of compressed natural gas in campus shuttles and other vehicles.

q Encouraged staff and students to power down computers during school breaks, saving $20,000 in energy costs.

q Continued forest preservation, composting and recycling.

q Launched a partnership with local hardware stores that gives customers in the UNH community a discount on energy efficient appliances.

What's next:

q A heat and power cogeneration plant scheduled to be fully running next year is projected to cut emissions by 40 percent.

q About half of the buses were replaced with low-sulfur-emitting buses this summer. The university plans to run them on fuel that is 20 percent biodiesel. More alternative fuel and clean technologies are in the works.

Chelsea Conaboy