Report Highlights Progress in Reducing Northwestern’s Environmental Impact
Northwestern is pleased to present the University’s inaugural “Year in Review” Sustainability Report. This report highlights the results of an engaged campus community dedicated to advancing initiatives and behaviors necessary to sustain the University. The report covers milestones and accomplishments from the 2015 to 2016 academic year in areas including the built environment; resource conservation; transportation; communications and engagement; and curriculum and research.
Improvements to Northwestern’s built environment during the past year included creating greener, more energy efficient buildings, and facilities. The Ryan Center for the Musical Arts and the Northwestern Sailing Center both received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Also, the renovation of Kresge Centennial Hall included the installation of a new 81kW solar array that will offset the building’s energy use and contribute to the University’s goal of increasing on-site renewable energy generation.
Resource conservation and waste reduction efforts resulted in 39 percent of the University’s waste being diverted from landfills over the course of the year. Northwestern switched to mixed recycling in February 2016, and in the first seven months after the change, recycling collections increased by 91 tons compared to the same time frame the previous year – up from 404 tons to 495 tons. Also, the University composted 260 tons of food waste over the year. During June, students moving out of campus residences donated more than 400 pounds of food and 20,000 pounds of clothing and household goods through a collection drive coordinated by sustainNU in partnership with Goodwill and Campus Kitchens.
Progress in the area of transportation included a partnership with the City of Evanston to bring the Divvy Bike Sharing service to the Evanston campus and the local community. The installation of four new electric vehicle charging stations will further expand sustainable transportation options.
Northwestern also made progress in the areas of community engagement, curriculum, and research. More than 1,400 students, faculty, and staff members participated in Earth Week activities, and Northwestern offered more than 100 sustainability and energy related courses.
In early 2017, Northwestern plans to publish the University’s first Strategic Sustainability Plan, which has been developed through an inclusive process guided by sustainNU and the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN). This plan and an accompanying Implementation Roadmap establish sustainability goals for the next five years and outline strategies for achieving these goals. Working Groups made up of students, faculty and staff members from departments and schools across the University will be tasked with guiding the implementation of the plan.
“We made exciting progress this year on multiple sustainability fronts, and we look forward to implementing Northwestern’s Strategic Sustainability Plan for even greater accomplishments in the years to come,” said Northwestern’s sustainability director, Kathia Benitez. “There are opportunities for all members of the University community to get involved.”
Northwestern community members who are interested in supporting sustainability efforts on campus can learn more about opportunities to get involved by emailing sustainNU at sustainability@northwestern.edu. Northwestern looks forward to continuing to make progress toward reducing the University’s environmental footprint and leading the way toward a more sustainable future.