The recommendation for Sustainability in Study Abroad has been approved! 

The stakeholders identified for this project include the Illinois Abroad Council Steering Committee, Environmental Sustainability Study Abroad Working Group, and representatives from study abroad programs in each college.

The forthcoming steps involve a collaborative effort to establish policies and procedures with these stakeholders.

The 2015 iCAP suggested creating a summer program, with this concept: "5 to 10 students will be selected each year for a 10-week summer program to conduct full-time research under the supervision of a faculty member to develop the scientific skills most important to success in a professional career (designing a research problem/experiments, problem-solving, interpreting results, communicating one’s science to various audiences, working in a team). Students will conduct research on real-world problems related to sustainability at the campus level, in their communities or the national/global level. They will learn to apply various tools, such as life-cycle analysis, cost-benefit methods and impact analysis, to assess, evaluate and design sustainable approaches to meeting societal demands. Through this project and experiment-based learning approach, student teams will be able to address real problems facing the campus and work together to propose solution."

F&S completed the renewal of our recognition as a Green Power Partner through the US Environmental Protection Agency. Green Power Partners of our scale now have to use renewable power for seven percent of their annual consumption. Fortunately, the FY21 green power supply for FY21 was 9%, which is a +1.72% increase from the FY19 supply of 7.28%. See attached file.

Overview submitted: 

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is proud of its sustainability initiatives and success in achieving Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) goals (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/). The iCAP is the university’s strategic plan to meet the Climate Leadership Commitments, including being carbon neutral as soon as possible and building resilience to climate change in the local community.

The Urbana campus on-site renewable energy portfolio meets more than 12 percent of annual electricity needs (https://fs.illinois.edu/services/utilities-energy/production/renewable-e...). UIUC’s Solar Farm 2.0 was energized in January 2021, producing 20,000 MWh/year. Combined with Solar Farm 1.0 and other rooftop and ground-mounted solar installations, the Urbana campus generates more than 27,000 MWh/year, ranking UIUC third amongst U.S. universities in on-site clean power production. Incorporating renewable energy continues to be a focus of new facility construction and major renovation projects. Most notably, the innovative Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Building features 970 rooftop panels. Since production started in April 2019, 11 percent of all power supplied to the ECE Building has been from the array, while additional output is reserved for research and educational activities. In September 2016, the university also signed a ten-year wind power purchase agreement for 25 million kWh/year and the rights to the environmental attributes.

On October 20, 2021, the 2021 Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP) Award Winners were announced at the Campus Sustainability Celebration!

UIUC is home to a total of 10 winners and honorable mentions, as listed below according to their categories:

• Occupant Action Category
  • Ice Arena
  • Student Dining and Residential Programs
  • English Building
  • Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE)
• Energy Advancement Category
  • Stock Pavilion
  • Forbes Natural History Building
  • Levis Faculty Center
  • Early Development Lab
• Honorable Mentions
  • State Farm Center
  • Bielfeldt Athletic Administrative Building

See the attached file to read the official announcement of 2021 ECIP Winners, including the locations' % improvements and monetary savings.

Illinois Enactus’s mission is to contribute to sustainable development goals by developing collaborative business ventures that work towards social, economic, and environmental equality in all communities. Illinois Enactus is an official chapter of the worldwide non-profit organization, Enactus. Enactus exists in more than 39 countries and has more than 1,600 teams across the globe. Being a member of Enactus means that you are a part of the largest and most prestigious business network on the planet. Our Enactus team partners with large corporations, local businesses, student organizations, non-profits, public schools, and entrepreneurs to execute our projects. Every project we implement requires us to consider the relevant economic, social and environmental factors to effectively empower people in need by applying business and economic concepts in an entrepreneurial approach to improve their quality of life and standard of living. In other words, instead of just doing philanthropy or service events, we create sustainable solutions to everyday problems so that people have the power to help themselves. Enactus projects apply the skills we learn in the classroom and have proven to be extremely relevant in prepare for a future career. Our team consists of students from a wide variety of backgrounds, so no matter what you are studying in school, you will be able to apply your knowledge and gain valuable experience. These skills are so valuable that numerous companies across the country only recruit Enactus students for internships and full-time careers.

The attached file shows the production of the new rooftop solar panels on BIF from June 2019 to March 2021. It also includes the approximate reduction in carbon emissions and the equivalent number of "trees saved."