As a leader in sustainability practices in higher education, Vanderbilt University was invited to participate in Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions, a two-day workshop in Washington, D.C., co-hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the University of Washington.
The event, which was March 8–9, brought together senior officials from a diverse set of 70 climate-engaged colleges and universities to address the climate crisis by sharing best practices, improving climate-related communication among institutions of higher education and facilitating coordinated actions.
Vice Chancellor for Administration Eric Kopstain attended on behalf of Vanderbilt, which was the only institution in Tennessee to be invited.
SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS AT VANDERBILT
Vanderbilt has been implementing and expanding a long-term sustainability plan through the FutureVU sustainability initiative. Major focus areas include:
- generating on-site clean energy
- securing off-site large-scale renewable energy
- decreasing carbon footprint from vehicles
- increasing green spaces
- reducing consumption and waste
- investing in sustainable infrastructure and green buildings
The university’s sustainability report for fiscal year 2022 shows that, among other achievements, Vanderbilt’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped 19 percent overall and 23 percent per square foot since fiscal year 2020.