Sustainability at Northwestern

Northwestern has been greening its campuses for the last several years through a series of ambitious — but decentralized — projects. Now the University has a comprehensive road map to reach its environmental goals.

With guidance and leadership from sustainNU, formerly the Office of Sustainability, the University recently released its inaugural Strategic Sustainability Plan, which details how Northwestern will reduce its carbon footprint and minimize its ecological impact over the next five years. Northwestern is committed to achieving a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 from a 2012 baseline and reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

Here are a few more highlights of the ongoing sustainability initiatives:

100,000 megawatt hours — The amount of renewable energy certificates Northwestern purchased for 2017, offsetting greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity consumption.

50% — The reduction in energy usage for outdoor lighting, thanks in part to the conversion of all outdoor lamps to LEDs — despite the fact that the University is adding more lights to make its campuses safer. Energy use intensity is down 14 percent across Northwestern’s portfolio of buildings.

38% — The amount of waste diverted from landfills by recycling and composting efforts.

16 — The number of electric vehicles added to the Facilities Management fleet, saving nearly 13,000 gallons of gas annually.

55 — The number of campus sustainability events hosted or supported by sustainNU during the 2016–17 school year, reaching more than 5,000 students, faculty and community members. — Joe Popely