Campus Sustainability

In the past two years the Environmental Policy and Culture Program (EPC) has helped to initiate a campus-wide dialogue on strengthening sustainability at Northwestern. EPC co-sponsored two workshops together with the Initiative on Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN), Students for Ecological and Environmental Development (SEED), the Sustainability Working Group (SWaG), and Facilities Management. The workshops brought together more than 100 students, faculty, staff, and administrators in an effort to identify and foster more sustainable practices and improve the environmental curriculum. 

SustaiNU is a summary of the goals and recommendations discussed in the two workshops. It covers five areas: Energy and Water, Procurement and Business Practices, Food and Dining, Solid Waste, and Curriculum.  

SustaiNU is intended to spur further discussion and action. It is a testament to the strong support behind sustainability measures, and the power of a collaborative approach. It is also an example of the existing institutional capacity for mitigating environmental impacts.

Environmental Policy and Culture students are involved in sustainability projects on and off campus. See for example: The Green It Now project (GRIN) which helps audit small buildings at Northwestern and provides recommendation for reducing carbon footprint; The Northwestern Sustainability Fund; and the Organic Garden. 

October 6, 2011