Carnegie Mellon University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

CMU's 2025 Strategic Plan outlines goals and lists 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 2025 Strategic Plan outlines goals and lists 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.

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.

In 2020, Carnegie Mellon created an expansive three-pillared action plan to confront racism and promote equity and inclusion across the university and within the communities it serves.

Commitments to the CMU Community

• Building community to close opportunity gaps
• Empoweirng the next generation of STEM leaders
• Deepenin a sense of communityand belonging

Commitment to the Expansion of Knowledge and Expertise at CMU

• Creating faculty DEIB resourcs in all fields
• Developing and supporting cultural competencies

Commitments to Engagement and Economic Empowerment for Our Broader Community

• Providing small businesses easier access to CMU
• Expanding access to the arts and humanities
• Boosting the regional economy

https://www.cmu.edu/diversity/commitments-and-progress 

In September 2023, Carnegie Mellon University joined Second Nature’s Climate Leadership Network by signing their Climate Commitment.

Carnegie Mellon, in 2015, joined 218 campuses representing over 3.3 million students across the country committed to take action on climate by signing the American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge.

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.