Carnegie Mellon University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

CMU's 2025 Strategic Plan outlines goals and list strategic recommendations for meeting these goals. The following strategic recommendations are examples of sustainability objectives in academics:

Apprenticeship and Mentorship
https://www.cmu.edu/strategic-plan/strategic-recommendations/apprenticeship-and-mentorship.html

Encourage learning through projects, research and other models that facilitate more direct student interaction with faculty.

Ensure all undergraduate students have an opportunity to engage in research or project-based activities during their time at Carnegie Mellon.

Provide majors and non-majors with opportunities to gain experience solving real-world problems, learn how to pose important questions, deal with uncertainty and engage deeply with expert faculty mentors and advisors.

Innovative Experiences for Students
https://www.cmu.edu/strategic-plan/strategic-recommendations/innovative-experiences.html

Expand curricular and metacurricular experiential learning programs, including volunteer opportunities in the community and internships.

Expand interdisciplinary course, minor and degree options, including fusion learning experiences.

CMU's Green Practices Committee sets annual goals. The following are from the 2019 & 2020 plans.
https://www.cmu.edu/environment/get-involved/committee/

Hire student sustainability workers to work on engagement initiatives.

Increase faculty, staff & student awareness of and involvement in campus green practices through intra-campus communication and direct outreach to faculty, staff, and students for specific projects.

Update/upgrade of UC Recycling Room to Sustainability Room to include opportunities for collaboration and community connections.

CMU's 2025 Strategic Plan outlines goals and list strategic recommendations for meeting these goals. The following strategic recommendations are examples of sustainability objectives for engagement:

Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Encounters
https://www.cmu.edu/strategic-plan/strategic-recommendations/catalyzing-interdisciplinary-encounters.html

Create conditions on campus that promote more interactions to build such serendipitous connections and strengthen interdisciplinary encounters.

Invest in programs and events at all levels including those by the provost, vice president for research, deans, and others that foster meaningful bottom-up collaborations among faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Develop communication mechanisms for faculty, staff and students to share interests, and promote shared research opportunities and creative endeavors.

Apprenticeship and Mentorship
https://www.cmu.edu/strategic-plan/strategic-recommendations/apprenticeship-and-mentorship.html

Promote strong faculty-student, peer-to-peer and alumni-student connections and role modeling.

CMU's Green Practices Committee sets annual goals. The following are from the 2019 & 2020 plans.
https://www.cmu.edu/environment/get-involved/committee/

Complete and issue RFP for campus wastewater reclamation and reuse project.

Draft a campus Energy Action Plan and, either as part of this document or separate but consistent with it, a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan.

Draft a campus Water Action Plan.

Pittsburgh 2030 District
https://www.cmu.edu/cdfd/sustainability
The University is committed to the Pittsburgh 2030 District Goals by publishing building performance data and utilizing the stretch goals for energy, water, air quality and transportation.

For existing buildings and infrastructure, reduce energy use a minimum of 20% below the baseline by 2020, with incremental targets reaching a 50% reduction by 2030.

For new buildings, an immediate 70% reduction in energy use below the national average, with incremental targets reaching carbon neutral by 2030.

DEI Commitments and Action Items

Our commitments span three broad areas of impact.

1. Commitments to the CMU Community

--We commit to engage every member of the CMU community in working together to build and sustain an inclusive culture that promotes equity for all and is intolerant of racism, discrimination and bias.
--We commit to recruit and develop a student body that truly represents the vibrant diversity of our nation and the world, where all Black and marginalized students feel supported throughout their education and experience.
--We commit to recruit, retain and develop Black and underrepresented faculty and staff and to provide all of our employees with an environment that fosters their collective success.
--We commit to build greater trust, understanding and transparency between the CMU community and the CMU Police.

2. Commitment to the Expansion of Knowledge and Expertise at CMU

CMU commits to growing its leadership in the study of racism and systemic injustice for the purpose of influencing public policy and developing meaningful interventions.

3. Commitments to Engagement and Economic Empowerment for Our Broader Community

We commit to partnering with our community to collaboratively develop positive social innovations that expand access, opportunity and economic empowerment in the Pittsburgh region and reverse the undeniable trends of racial injustice and inequality.

https://www.cmu.edu/dei-commitments/commitments

The Staff Council Sustainability Committee was formed in 2010 in order to develop a more comprehensive waste reduction and energy conservation program specifically for staff members working in coordination with CMU's Green Practices Committee. A representative from the Sustainability Committee is typically designated as a liaison to participate on the Green Practices Committee.

Staff Council can lobby to change university policies as they affect staff and the entire campus community. These 'green initiatives' include working to increase CMU's recycling rate, helping facilitate Zero Waste events with Catering / Dining and other campus vendors, and educating staff about alternative commuting and Green purchasing opportunities.

"The Green Practices Committee will strive to develop university practices that improve environmental quality, decrease waste and conserve natural resources and energy, thereby establishing Carnegie Mellon as a practical model for other universities and companies."

The GPC identified areas of opportunity for an expanded environmental practices program at Carnegie Mellon through study of the current state of environmental practices on campus, initiatives at other college campuses and discussions with various Carnegie Mellon groups.

Opportunities are grouped into three categories:

Campus Life
Facility Infrastructure
Transportation

The ISCN/GULF SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS CHARTER was signed August 19, 2010 by Dr. Jared L. Cohon, then President of Carnegie Mellon University. Consistent with the 2018 updates to the charter, CMU commits to follow and support the five calls to action listed below:
a. Institutional Leadership
1. Embed sustainability in all aspects of the university (governance, operations, learning, research, community).
2. Create an environment that cultivates resilient, empowered, caring and engaged students,
staff, and faculty who will contribute to the health of people and places.
3. Engage with external partners, industry, government and civil society to disseminate knowledge, research and best practices to benefit the communities in which we serve.

b. Network Collaboration
4. Deepen and broaden the collaboration that happens between members of the network to accelerate collective action.
5. Ensure that the network is significantly inspiring international dialogue and debate to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Carnegie Mellon University signs Climate Pledge
signed November 19, 2015

As a leading global university in research and education to advance sustainability and energy innovation and a consistent top 10 institution in the U.S. EPA green power partnership, Carnegie Mellon University has demonstrated leadership in its own practices to address climate change. We are therefore pleased to join with other members of the university community and to answer President Obama’s challenge.

https://www.cmu.edu/environment/feature-stories/white-house-press-release-on-climate-change-pledge.html

The following strategic recommendations/objectives outlined in CMU's 2025 strategic plan represent the integrated concept of sustainability:

- Best Practices in Diversity and Inclusion
- Collaborative Culture and Climate
- Professional Development for Staff
- Efficient, Effective Business Practices
- Shaping the Research Agenda
- An "Ecology" of Infrastructure and Support

https://www.cmu.edu/strategic-plan/strategic-recommendations