Welcome from sustainNU

Dear Northwestern community,

Welcome to the new academic year. This quarter may look different than others, but sustainNU continues to work with our University community and campus partners to reduce Northwestern’s impact on the environment and integrate sustainability into our endeavors. In the last year, we announced a historic partnership with Clearway Energy to bring clean, renewable energy to Illinois, received the EPA’s highest honor for our leadership in energy efficiency—the prestigious ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence award, and achieved a gold rating in collegiate sustainability from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).  

While our wildcats are spread across the globe, we will continue to offer virtual programming to connect students, faculty, and staff in conversation and action. Our first Environmental Book Club of the school year will meet virtually on October 2. Conversations with sustainNU—a sustainNU podcast series focused on all things sustainability—will continue to highlight environmental experts and their work. And we continue to host virtual engagement opportunities such as Pause and Notice Nature and sustainNU’s trivia night. October is also Campus Sustainability Month, so stay tuned for opportunities to participate and connect. 

This year, we are working on setting our sights on the future. Our inaugural five-year Strategic Sustainability Plan will wrap up in 2021 and we are developing an even more ambitious agenda for the coming years, to ensure that sustainability is integrated into our operations, educational engagement, and community service.  

As we move into the new academic year, I’m encouraged by our progress over the past year, but understand more is to be done. We recognize that advancing sustainability means incorporating values and actions of environmental justice and equity into our initiatives. As we develop the 2021-2025 Strategic Sustainability Plan, we will work with community partners and experts to incorporate new goals that realize this broader definition of sustainability.  

Please stay connected and use the resources below to learn how you can support a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future.

We look forward to the year ahead!