The Illini Union's One Book, One Campus program centers around providing a shared experience for our community through reading the same book and engaging in dialogue to explore various themes. Lectures, book discussion groups, and many other activities will guide participants to learn about themselves and experience a unique sense of community.

The 2011-2013 book selection was Annie Leonard's 'The Story of Stuff,' which is about the harmful effects of excessive consumption in the United States. 

 In order to achieve the next potable water conservation goal of reducing use by 40 percent from 2008 to 2025 the University has begun to look at the 63 miles of water distribution lines which provide potable water to the campus. The Utilities division performed a survey of the water lines owned by the university in May 2012. This survey determined where there are undetected water main and water service leaks in the university system which will allow unaccounted for flow to be reduced and conserve water and money.

The trend away from outdoor play in children is having a significant impact on the health of today's youth, as well as their stewardship and interest in the environment. Take a Child Outside Week aims to combat this trend through a series of events to be held September 24-30, 2013.

The aim of this project is to reduce the water consumption of Campus Recreation patrons without interfering with the service they receive. In order to do this, standard flush valves were replaced with dual-flush valves, pint-flow urinals were installed, and motion-sensor water faucets replaced traditional faucets in ARC, CRCE, and the Ice Arena (which are the three largest Campus Recreation facilities.)  Campus Recreation used the upgrades as an opportunity to educate their patrons about water consumption and conservation.

College Sustainability Report Card - Suspended

March 30, 2012 - Sustainable Endowments Endowments Institute announces suspension

of College Sustainability Report Card program. Learn More

GreenReportCard.org is the first website to provide in-depth sustainability profiles for more than 300 colleges in all 50 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces. See the Results

Each semester, Facilities & Services works with the Learning in Community (LINC) program as a project partner for the UI Bikes course section. Working closely with the Campus Bicycle Coordinator, students learn about cycling issues on campus including planning, infrastructure, safety, education, and enforcement. 

Drawing attention to stormwater – literally – is a current goal of F&S Environmental Compliance (EC). EC, which manages the university’s stormwater program, along with a number of community organizations, has recruited 12 artists to paint themed murals near storm drain inlets to call attention to the potential hazards of what washes down our drains.

The yard of the Campus Honors House was transformed into a beautiful landscape of native plants, with the efforts of a dedicated student. Native plants on campus have become an interest of several students and community members. With their dedication, the use of native plants continues to spread on campus.

This project will be a guaranteed energy savings contract to be completed in conformance with the provisions of the public university energy conservation act. An energy services company (esco) will be selected through a request for proposal process to serve as a qualified provider. The esco will provide an investment grade audit and recommend energy conservation measures based on merit. This is approximately a $4,300,000 performance contract guaranteed to produce an annual energy savings of $850,000.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign built a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank for the Campus Chilled Water System
(CCWS). The tank is located on South Oak Street in Champaign, adjacent to the NCSA Petascale Computing Facility.

The 6.5 million gallon tank will help meet ~7,000 tons of additional cooling requirements for building projects being completed in 2010.
Anticipated loads include: