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Creating a sustainable campus
About Us
The Office of Sustainability, located within the University's Facilities Services department, was established in November 2008. Recognizing that a sustainable campus does not have borders, the Office of Sustainability is working to mitigate the University’s impact on the environment, raise visibility of sustainability issues on campus, and advance intellectual debate and analysis on the critical environmental issues of our time.
The University’s sustainability work is best understood in the context of its history and an ethos that imbues the campus and surrounding communities with a sense of place and culture. Green space, urban neighborhoods, a Great Lake and small, local businesses inform the focus and urgency of our program. As we seek to apply the University’s tradition of rigorous inquiry to the complex issues of sustainability, the results have implications far beyond just University grounds. By integrating the groundbreaking work of the City of Chicago’s Climate Plan, we are connecting our own efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the bigger picture. Furthermore, we are addressing the every day issues of sustainability - recycling, green buildings, composting - while seeking to understand the long-term impacts of decisions we make today and valuing the benefits of a thriving planet. We hope to create a robust sustainability program that is a model for institutions around the world, and here at home.
