Mitigating GHG Emissions: Achieved a 12% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 net greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 from 2012 baseline.
Northwestern has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% from the 2012 baseline by 2030.
New LEED certified building: 560 Lincoln achieved LEED Gold certification. The 122,000 square foot residence hall utilizes efficient fixtures, recycled materials, and direct lines of sight to the outdoors for residents.
Northwestern purchased 100,000 megawatt hours of Green-e certified Midwest wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), representing roughly 38% of Northwestern’s electricity consumption.
Equivalent to removing more than 15,000 cars from the road.
Energy use intensity has been reduced 14% from the 2010 baseline.
EUI is calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by total building gross floor area, allowing for a meaningful year-over-year energy performance comparisons while taking into account changes in campus footprint.
Resource Conservation
Recycling and composting efforts diverted 39% of our waste from the landfill, which represents 2,400 tons recycled or composted.
Strategizing waste reduction: Northwestern University launched its first Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan aimed at reducing waste and protecting the environment. The report includes recommendations based off of a waste audit to help achieve Northwestern’s goal of a 50% landfill diversion rate by 2020.
Reducing food waste: Collected 321 tons of food waste through University composting initiatives.
Take it or leave it: Donated nearly 7,500 pounds of food, clothing, and household goods during move out to Connections for the Homeless, an Evanston non-profit.
Transportation
Increasing EV station usage: Usage of the 8 electric vehicle charging stations increased by 57% in 2019 compared to 2018. The stations dispensed 54,710 kWh of electricity, allowing drivers to travel about 166,000 miles.
Tracking transportation data: Released the second biennial Transportation Survey capturing data from 6,700 students, faculty, and staff.
Campus bike share: Student Divvy memberships rose to a total of 829, an 8% increase from 2018.
Communications & Engagement
Celebrating Earth Day: Hosted the inaugural Earth Day Fair with representatives from across campus as well as vendor partners.
Engaging with the community: Hosted or provided support for 13 campus events, reaching more than 3,900 students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Social media updates: Sent updates to over 1,200 Facebook, 1,450 Twitter, and 600 Instagram followers.
Reporting on sustainability: Sent 4 newsletters to over 4,500 subscribers.
Experiential Learning
Supporting bright ideas: Worked with Associated Student Government Sustainability Committee to support a student-led energy audit and lighting upgrade project.
Connecting to sustainability: Led a tour of sustainable features on campus for alumni during reunion weekend.