Boston University
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment

The survey was designed to gauge progress on sustainability awareness at Boston University. Having information about the community's understanding and activities regarding sustainability helps sustainability@BU plan future efforts, programs and communications initiatives. Consistent with the guidelines of STARS, the survey was conceived to contain questions on general sustainability literacy. 26% of survey questions relate to literacy, 56% of questions are BU-specific, and 18% are behavioral.

The online survey was sent out via email on February 12th, 2015 to all Boston University undergraduate students, graduate students, staff and faculty. Out of 29 total questions, 26% of questions related to literacy, 55% of questions were BU-specific, and 18% were behavioral. Students, as well as staff and faculty members who responded to it constitute the representative sample.

Out of the 2,498 total survey respondents: - 87% correctly agreed that the definition of sustainability is ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ - 77% thought that slowing climate change was extremely important from a global perspective more so than other issues such as economic prosperity, biodiversity loss, public health, and access to education. - 72% thought that recycling was extremely important from a Boston University perspective more than other issues such as waste reduction, preparing for climate change, green buildings, and sustainable purchasing - 42% of respondents strongly agreed that they were aware of Boston University’s efforts in reducing our environmental footprint overall Out of the 20 sustainability@BU initiatives that we listed on the survey, the majority of respondents said that they were most aware and involved with recycling on campus, cardboard recycling at move-in, receiving discounts for using a reusable mug on campus, Goodwill Not Landfill, and the BU Farmers Market. Other programs like the Sustainability Help Desk, the Dorm Energy Challenge, and Green Buildings on campus were less well-known with lower participation rates. Moving forward sustainability@BU communications for the next academic year will focus on powering down, such as unplugging power cords and washing clothes in cold water. sustainability@BU will continue to encourage recycling efforts on campus, and promote awareness of Boston University’s efforts to reduce our EUI and environmental footprint overall. The results will also help in determining which of the 20 sustainability@BU programs to more heavily promote at Boston University.

Answers to the survey are available online (see website URL above).