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Northwestern University has received the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the third consecutive year. In 2020, Northwestern became the first university to ever receive the prestigious award.
Thank you for celebrating Earth Month with sustainNU! Our events engaged students, faculty, and staff in practicing sustainability in their daily lives.
To achieve significant energy savings, Northwestern is partnering with Ameresco, Inc., a leading cleantech company specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, to reduce the University’s carbon footprint. In addition to providing energy management, Ameresco employs two full-time co-op internships each quarter for science or engineering students who are interested in energy and sustainability.
A new reusable container program has been rolled out in the dining halls on campus. Last quarter, many of the reusable containers were not returned leaving the program depleted and a lot of reusable containers lost to the landfill. Northwestern Dining and Student Affair worked to reinstate the program, rolling out the new, green OZZI containers at the end of January.
Whether you’re a Chicagoland native or a freshman from California experiencing your first Windy City winter, it’s not hard to understand why Chicago is infamous for having one of the harshest winters in the country. In the winter season, Chicago gets an average 28.1 inches of snowfall and has an average temperature of 26.4°F, but the wind from Lake Michigan can sometimes make it feel like it’s colder than Siberia. However, with climate change, Chicago winters are – well – changing.
In partnership with Ameresco, Inc., Northwestern University offers an annual Sustainability Fellowship (NU Sustainable Fellows) as well as two paid internships enabling students to apply energy and sustainability concepts to real-world problems and grow as leaders in sustainability. One of the two projects to receive funding is Project Green Bus, an ongoing initiative aimed at evaluating the electrification of Evanston School District 65’s bus fleet.
As many of us learned, studied, and worked from home last year, we often intentionally or unintentionally found ourselves living more sustainably. These earth-friendly habits can carry over to our on-campus lives as well! Check out our tips for maintaining sustainable habits as we return to in-person activities.
Don't let figuring out what does and does not go in the recycling bin be a headache. With this handy guide to recycling at Northwestern and the surrounding community, you’ll be a pro in no time!