Northwestern University
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

sustainNU, Northwestern's sustainability program(formerly referred to ass the Office of Sustainability), aims to reduce Northwestern's ecological footprint and make our university a leader in sustainability. The office focuses both on education and operational efficiency and works on a variety of tasks, from waste management to GHG reduction, to engaging the campus community in sustainability. Since its founding in 2011, the office has succeeded in launching the Eco-Reps and Green Office Certification programs, bringing the Divvy bike share program to campus, helping large-scale events go zero-waste, and fostering an environmentally aware campus environment through the sustainNU Working Groups. These working groups focus on the implementation of the Strategic Sustainability Plan and are made up of students, faculty, and staff. The five different Working Groups are Built Environment, Transportation, Communications and Engagement, Experiential Learning, and Resource Conservation.

The governance structure of the sustainability program at Northwestern is as follows. Executive Steering Committee > Sustainability Council > Working Groups The Executive Steering Committee is made up of members of the University’s senior leadership and administration. The executive steering committee provides high-level oversight and ensures sustainability initiatives are directly aligned with the University’s goals. Under the guidance of the Office of the President, Northwestern convened the Sustainability Council, it is charged with leading implementation and overseeing progress on this Strategic Sustainability Plan. The Council is co-chaired by the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern and sustainNU. Membership is comprised of the Associated Student Government Sustainability Vice President, the Faculty Senate and co-chairs from each of sustainNU's working groups. This group will ensure that the efforts of the various working groups are coordinated, on track, and aligned with the goals outlined in this Strategic Sustainability Plan. The Working Groups are made up of students, faculty, and staff members across schools and administrative units. Each working group is focused on planning and implementing initiatives aimed at achieving the goals outlined in the Strategic Sustainability Plan. Each working group has two co-chairs who sit on the Sustainability Council. There are five working groups for each program area identified in the Strategic Sustainability Plan. The working groups are: • Built Environment (energy, renewable energy, infrastructure, water and greenhouse gas emissions); • Transportation (commuting and campus travel, cycling, and electric vehicles); • Resource Conservation (waste, purchasing, and food programs); • Experiential Learning (the cultivation of a living-learning laboratory environment) and Communications and Engagement (faculty and staff, student, and community engagement). The working groups will tackle the implementation actions and strategies stated in the Implementation Roadmap over the next five years and will report progress to the Sustainability Council on a quarterly basis. The working groups will meet monthly to assess the status of these initiatives to ensure bi-annual communication to the Executive Steering Committee and the campus community.

Executive Steering Committee: -University President -Executive Vice Presidents -Provost -Deans of all schools -Associated Student Government President -Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern Director -Sustainability Director Sustainability Council: -Director of Sustainability -Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern Faculty Member -Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern Staff Member -Associated Student Government Vice President for Sustainability -Working Group co-chairs Working Groups: -Mix of staff, faculty, and students from diverse backgrounds within the University

The Northwestern Office of Sustainability was created in 2011 to serve the needs of students, faculty and staff in both operations and curriculum and is now referred to as sustainNU. See description above for more detail.

The Director of Sustainability is tasked with developing and implementing the Strategic Sustainability Plan, facilitating the Sustainability Council and leading the Office of Sustainability. The Manager of Sustainability and Resource Management manages sustainability programs and resource management operations for the University. Her position deals with the UNiversity's waste management, diversion rate, and the operational side of recycling and hauling. The Sustainability Communications Manager is responsible for developing communications strategies and leading campaigns to engage students, faculty, and staff in the work of sustainNU. She manages the Green Office program, a program to engage employees in sustainability, as well the Eco-Reps program which engages students in sustainability.