Sustainability at Northwestern – Achieving Our Goals Together

I joined Northwestern University in 2011 to take on the role of Director of Sustainability for Facilities Management, I was excited about the opportunity because it seemed that higher education was likely to be at the forefront of efforts to innovate and engage society in order to address issues like climate change, resource scarcity, and environmental degradation. What I found here surprised even me. Northwestern’s students, faculty, and staff were keenly aware of the challenges facing our environment and were passionate about being involved in the solutions.

Over the past four and a half years, momentum has grown as the numbers of students with majors, minors, and certificates in sustainability related fields like Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, and Environmental Policy and Culture have more than tripled. To date, more than 2,000 students have taken new courses developed by the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern, and the University has responded to this demand, hiring almost a dozen key faculty in sustainability related fields. The message is clear. For this generation, sustainability and the environment are critical issues and they’re expecting our Universities to be a part of the solution through teaching and research.

Operationally the University has made similar progress through the efforts of our staff, particularly within Facilities Management. We’ve established Northwestern’s first energy, greenhouse gas, and waste reduction goals and we’ve made impressive progress by reducing energy use intensity by 13.5 percent since 2010. We’re leading the way in design and construction as well. Northwestern will have more than 15 LEED certified green building projects by 2017, including two that are targeting LEED Platinum. And Northwestern has done a great deal to reduce the greenhouse gas impact of our operations. In addition to implementing energy efficiency projects, the University purchases 122,000 kWh of wind energy annually, offsetting 50 percent of our emissions from electricity use. This commitment was enough to earn Northwestern the U.S. EPA as a Green Power Leadership award, the only university to receive this honor in 2015.

This spring, Northwestern will release its first Strategic Plan for Sustainability detailing the University’s goals and commitments in areas including: energy and greenhouse gas emissions; resource management; and curriculum and research. The implementation of this plan will accelerate the University’s progress toward becoming a national leader in sustainability, and all members of the Northwestern community have critical parts to play in this effort. Every decision we make can move us toward our goals – from how we choose to get to campus each day, to the equipment we purchase, to simple things like turning off lights. If we focus on making smart choices, it makes a difference, it all adds up, and it’s up to you to make it happen!

Good Luck and Best Wishes

Rob Whittier is leaving Northwestern to take on new challenges as the Director of Sustainability for Vail Resorts. During his time at Northwestern, he has had played a huge role in moving the University forward in efforts to reduce our environmental footprint. His leadership will be missed by the many faculty, staff, and students who have worked with him over the years. We wish him the best as he moves his family west to Colorado and takes on new adventures in sustainability.