Campus and Community Resources

The daily decisions that you make about how to travel, what to eat and drink, whether or not to recycle your trash, what to wear, and a myriad of other decisions all have an impact on the health of our planet. Wondering how your daily decisions could possibly affect the planet? After all, you are just one of 6.8 billion other people living on the planet. And that’s the point. The collective decisions of 6.8 billion people, whatever those decisions may be, will determine if we have enough resources to sustain the health and well-being of ourselves, future generations, and the other living creatures that share the Earth with us.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the surrounding communities have a lot to be proud of when it comes to sustainability. The resources listed in this section are just a sample of what our campus and community has to offer. To get you started, University of Illinois Extension has developed 57 Ways To Protect Your Home Environment.

For a list of academic, campus, community and research groups, please click here.

American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Pledge

On February 22, 2008, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign became a signatory to the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). We are currently one of more than six-hundred Colleges and Universities that are participating in this endeavor (see the University's official commitment pledge here (download as pdf).

As concern grows about global warming and the potential effects on health, social, economic, and ecological well-being of our world, the University is a prime place to be at the forefront of battling the negative impacts associated with climate change. The University of Illinois hosts high-caliber research and experts in diverse field across campus and seeks to become a model for not only the State of Illinois, but to become a leader in these efforts nationally and globally.

The ultimate goal of the ACUPCC is for campuses to go "climate neutral". During the first year of this commitment, a greenhouse gas emissions inventory was conducted and submitted to the ACUPCC.

Illinois submitted its Climate Action Plan in May 2010.  This plan sets aggressive goals for reaching carbon neutrality.  Facilities & Services is making great progress on the operational aspects of the plan, and the Office of Sustainability is working to connect educators and researchers to many projects associated with the plan.  Moving forward, Illinois will be required to submit updated greenhouse gas emissions inventories (2012) and progress reports(2013) on alternating years.  As reports become available, they will be shared with the public, both in this space as well as on the ACUPCC's website.

Illinois Campus Sustainability Compact

On Friday, August 27, 2010, University of Illinois former President Michael Hogan and former UIUC Chancellor and current President Robert Easter joined Governor Pat Quinn in signing the second Sustainable Campus Compact (pdf) as part of the fifth annual Sustainable University Symposium. The University is the first institution to sign on to the new five-year compact that commits us to continue energy and environmental improvements.

Rankings and Reports

The Office of Sustainability is responsible for coordinating the campus response to a variety of organizations related to sustainability efforts.

ACUPCC

As signatories to the ACUPCC and the Illinois Campus Sustainability Compact, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is required to submit data regarding its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and efforts to reduce them.  The ACUPCC requires an emissions inventory within one year of signing, and a comprehensive action plan for reduction within two years of signing.  Illinois is in good standing with the ACUPCC.  

Illinois Campus Sustainability Compact

The Illinois Campus Sustainability Compact was revised during academic year 2010-2011, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was the first to sign the new compact and pledged at the Gold Level. Information required for the compact includes actions such as fostering student involvement, green building, waste reduction, new initiatives.

Voluntary Surveys

The University of Illinois also voluntarily submits data to the following surveys – the Sierra Club Cool Schools survey, the Sustainable Endowment Institute Green Report Card Survey, the Princeton Review and Petersons.  Among our Big Ten peers, Illinois consistently ranks in the upper percentile.

As more rankings from reports are released, we will share that information here.

Illinois second among Big Ten in Princeton Review - 8/10/10

Each year the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign participates in a survey distributed by the Princeton Review.  The Green Campus portion of the survey awards scores based on items such as: sustainability education and research, LEED certified buildings and other sustainable operations practices, transportation options, local foods in dining halls, and student involvement in sustainability initiatives. Illinois’ score is improved over last year from 92 to 95, placing us second among Big Ten Universities. To view Illinois’ green survey responses to the Princeton Review, please visit Princeton Review.

Comparison to Big Ten Schools:

Big Ten Sustainability Report

This document provides a comparison of Big Ten conference schools by documenting initiatives, progress, and results in the following categories: administration, infrastructure, energy use, transportation, recycling, and food. This is the first report compiling these facets to view the difficulties and potential solutions to achieve sustainability in large research-based institutions. This report was prepared by students at the University of Michigan. 
Click here to download the full report.
 

Sustainability Task Forces

As a result of the Office of Sustainability’s 2008-2009 visioning process, implementation of programs that fulfill this vision became the focus for the Office of Sustainability.  To aid in the development of an implementation plan, three task forces were created that represented a diverse group of stakeholders.  Members of the task forces included faculty, students, staff and community members with expertise in a variety of disciplines.  

Forum Task Force

The Forum Task Force was charged to create a new forum for in-depth, cross-disciplinary engagement on the sustainability grand challenges.  The product of their work is a recurring offering of the Scholarship of Sustainability Series.  This Series began in the Spring of 2010 and is offered each spring. The Series is open to faculty, staff, students and the community at large. The Series provides an in-depth examination of sustainability issues, with readings and video available on-line.

Operations Task Force

The Operations Task force was charged to create and implement a sustainable campus operations plan.  The committee’s efforts resulted in a comprehensive climate action plan that provides a path toward carbon neutrality by 2050.  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was the first Big Ten University to submit a climate action plan to the ACUPCC.

Education Task Force

The Education Task Force was charged to infiltrate sustainable thinking into campus missions through new education activities.  The Sustainability Education Task Force (SETF) created sustainability education outcomes to serve as a useful resource for enhancing campus course and program offerings related to sustainability. The SETF has also inventoried existing course and program offerings to publish as a guide and identified gaps that can be filled through partnerships with academic departments.

 

2010-2011 Sustainability Task Force Members

Education Task Force - Hide Names and Affiliations

Forum Task Force - Hide Names and Affiliations

Operations Task Force - Hide Names and Affiliations

Operations Task Force

Sustainability Council Members

The Sustainability Council was put in place in 2008 to help lead sustainability efforts at the University of Illinois. The Council is comprised of campus leaders and student and faculty representatives. It provides strategic direction and oversight of the campus sustainability initiative.

2012-2013 Sustainability Council Members

Change and the Heartland curriculum
Change and the Heartland is a publication of the Environmental Change Institute and the Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Program that seeks to bring the complex science of Climate Change challenges and address it in a understandable and yet meaningful manner. During the summer of 2012, a group of nine faculty from community colleges and higher educational institutions came together to develop student activities based on the 16 articles of the Change publication. The group completed a number of student activities in problem based learning style and a general course outline for an entry level course on climate change, using the Change publication as a primary resource.

Change and the Heartland Issues:

Independent Projects

Illini Energy Dashboard
The Illini Energy Dashboard provides clearly visible understandable information data and information to students and staff of selected University buildings describing energy consumption rate (electrical, chilled water and steam) so that users can make educated choices about the way they can affect energy consumption and conservation.What is Displayed? The gauges on the each building page displays real-time energy use data by building for heating, cooling and electricity.

ECI Annual Symposium

2009 Symposium (PDF)
On December 4, 2009, the first of the ECI Symposiums set the stage for short, interesting summaries of funded research, course developments and outreach initiatives. 

2010 Symposium (PDF)
On November 8, 2010, the second Symposium gave the University community a chance to see new and developing work form researchers and students in the areas of environment, climate change, and sustainability. 

2011 Symposium (PDF)
On December 7, 2011, ECI's third and final Symposium was an opportunity to celebrate and highlight our Fellows and their contributions to the work in environmental change and funded research and educational projects.

Summit Summaries

The Environmental Change Institute developed and implemented two Summits, Cap and Trade andAgricultural Solutions: Adaption & Mitigati0n. The goal of each was to reach out to academic, business and governmental agencies and begin a dialogue that would promote change in the areas of environmental sustainability. 

Cap and Trade 2009
ECI sponsored the first Summit on the topic of Cap and trade policies in Chicago, Illinois on May 28, 2009 (PDF) to explore the foundations of a sound cap and trade policy. Enlivened by a multi-disciplinary team of speakers, this cap and trade summit began a lively dialogue among leaders in business, science and policy. 

Climate Change 2010
Second Annual Environmental Change Institute Summit:
Climate Change: Agricultural Solutions, Adaptation & Mitigation

Publications

The Environmental Change Institute was focused on not only thinking about the challenging environmental problems, but also enabling changes to occur from that new knowledge. Through a generous gift from the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund and additional funds from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; the College of Business; and the College of Law, ECI was able to fund dozens of initiatives on the Illinois campus, at community colleges and in the Heartland.

Courses & Programs

During the first year of operation Environmental Change Institute awarded $25,000 for the development of new courses related to one of the domains established by the ECI. The following is a listing of courses and course instructors. Follow the link to view the course syllabi.

• Development of a Renewable Energy Law Course (funded 2009) Instructor: Dr. Jay Kesan, Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Economics and Business Administration. Co-Instructor: Dr. Bryan Endress, ACE. Syllabus (PDF)
• Global Warming, Biofuels and Food; Plants and Global Change Instructor: Dr. Andrew Leakey, Department of Plant Biology and Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB). Co-Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth Ainsworth, Department of Plant Biology and IGB. Syllabus (PDF)
• Climate and Social Vulnerability: Concepts and Policy Approaches Instructor: Dr. Jesse Ribot, Beckman Institute. Syllabus (PDF)
• Environmental Sustainability – A Global Perspective Instructor: Dr. William Sullivan, Department of Landscape Architecture.Syllabus (PDF)
• Design and Evaluation of Green Roof Systems at the University of Illinois Instructor: Dr. David Kovacic, Department of Landscape Architecture
• LINC Bike Sharing (funded 2010) Instructor: Dr. Bruce Litchfield, Engineering Administration

Landscapes, Sustainability, & Human Health Instructor: Dr. Bill Sullivan, Landscape Architecture

Faculty involved in environmental research requested seed funding for a variety of ongoing projects. Each faculty, and their students, received start up or continuation funds from the Environmental Change Institute.

There are four new research initiatives funded for the 2010 academic year.
 

In the first year, the Environmental Change Institute committed $60,000 in funding for research.  During the first year of operation, 2009-2010, the Environmental Change Institute awarded $125,000 in seed grants for research meeting the interdisciplinary criteria as defined within the Request for Proposals. See file.

Research Projects

Research is central to the mission of the Environmental Change Institute. In order to intelligently move forward in a changing environment, it is crucial to study all aspects of environmental change. Research through the ECI seeks to advance our understanding of global environmental change and offers solutions that enable society to avoid, mitigate or adapt to its effects.

• 2009 Research Projects
• 2010 Research Projects
• 2011 Research Projects

Alvin H. Baum Family Fund

The new Center for a Sustainable Environment (CSE) is being supported by the Alvin H. Baum Family Foundation through a generous gift. The Academic Senate approved establishment of the Center for a Sustainable Environment on December 3, 2012.  

Mission
The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund is committed to bettering the lives of those who live and work predominantly in the Chicagoland area. Priorities established for the Foundation’s giving are health, human services, education, housing, environmental issues and the arts.

Please visit the Baum Family Fund website for more information.

An Excerpt from our Vision Statement

In Fall of 2009 The Strategic Opportunity in Global Sustainability Challenges: A Vision for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was developed in a highly inclusive process that involved the surrounding communities.

The visioning process identified two global grand challenges for which Illinois is well positioned to be a leader:

1) To maintain or restore natural ecosystem function while providing essential human services, and 
2) To sustainably raise the quality of life for the world’s poor to acceptable levels.

There are five goals associated with the vision:

1) Create a new forum for in-depth, cross-disciplinary engagement on the sustainability grand challenges, 
2) Create and implement a sustainable campus operations plan that maintains or restores natural ecosystem, function and supports impoverished communities, 
3) Infiltrate sustainable thinking into campus missions through new education activities,
4) Create incentive programs that spur sustainability activities to meet the above goals, and 
5) Create a viable financial plan for sustainability activities. Task Forces are currently identifying near term actions around goals 1–3, and helping to implement them.

Illinois is also committed to achieving responsibilities of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Energy conservation has been an emphasis as part of the ACUPCC. For example, FY09 was only the second time in 20 years that campus electricity consumption dropped from one year to the next. The progress is attributed to a broadening campus conservation effort, including retrocommissioning, departmental and college reduction initiatives, reduced HVAC system operating hours, and the campus relamping program. Total energy consumed by the main campus at Urbana-Champaign dropped 6.5% in FY09 compared to FY08. Campus consumption is now nearly 10% lower than FY07 on a square foot basis. The FY09 energy reduction resulted in a budget savings of approximately $7.5 million. The goal for FY10 is another 5% reduction (i.e. 5% below FY09).

About the Center

The new Center for a Sustainable Environment (CSE) is now officially established. The Academic Senate had approved establishment of the Center for a Sustainable Environment on December 3, 2012. The formal search process for director of the CSE will start this month.

Both the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and the Office of Sustainability (OS) have been merged in this new center. Both the ECI and the OS have done outstanding work in the area of environment and sustainability for our campus and their efforts are greatly appreciated. The CSE will build upon the efforts of these two entities.  

Detailed information about accomplishments of the ECI is accessible from the CSE website. We would like you to continue to stay connected to sustainability initiatives and activities on the campus. If you have previously subscribed to the OS Newsletter, you will now receive the CSE Newsletter in its place. If you were previously receiving messages from the ECI, please subscribe to theCSE Newsletter, “like” CSE on Facebook, or follow CSE on Twitter.

The CSE is being supported by the Alvin H. Baum Family Foundation through a generous gift.

The "Procedure for Formulating & Evaluating Campus Sustainability Policies & Initiatives," developed by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE), was officially approved by Chancellor Wise on June 4, 2014.

This document describes the purpose, structure, and tasks of Sustainability Working Advisory Teams (SWATeams), the iCAP Working Group, and the Sustainability Council.