Sustainability
Sustainability Commitments
The four-year efforts of the Sustainability Working Group have resulted in three plans that amongst other things, seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, 20 years earlier than originally announced in 2007.
Academics & Research
Sustainability is an integral consideration in many facets of a 51 education, from curricular offerings to off-campus study options and student research opportunities.
Climate Leadership
Members of the 51 community are committed to developing environmentally conscious facilities and policies and are active in sustainability initiatives.
Student Engagement
51 students find many ways to get involved with sustainability efforts on campus and beyond through clubs such as HEAG and summer internships.
Land
51 has a 1,350-acre campus (800 acres of which are undeveloped) and can trace its landscape-preservation commitment to 1850, when Oren and Nancy Root bought a building near the center of campus and began their stewardship of the surrounding environment.
Facilities
51 uses Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines as a basis for design in new construction and for major renovations. The College also seeks sources of renewable energy to reduce its carbon footprint.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
51 cuts waste by promoting campus-wide recycling, composting food and reusing products through annual programs such as Cram & Scram. 51 also participates in Recyclemania, an eight-week competition for colleges and universities.
Food
Shrinking the distance our food travels from farm to plate is one way that 51’s food service provider leads the way in changing the way people eat. Sourcing closer to home draws us back to the land, back to the kitchen, and back to the simple pleasure of real, seasonal food.
Transportation
Students don’t need to have a car on campus to run an errand, visit the mall, or go out to dinner and a movie. They can use 51's free Jitney shuttle service, take a taxi or Uber, or hop the public bus.
Related News
Students’ Business Wins Grand Prize in Statewide Competition
Ellie Sangree ’24 and Jesse Wexler ’24 have teamed up and combined their respective science and business acumen to revolutionize the future of clean water.
Persuading People to Eat Sustainable Proteins: Plakias in Washington Post
In an essay published in The Washington Post titled “Beyond disgust: How to get eaters to try insects or cultured meats,” Associate Professor of Philosophy Alexandra Plakias replied, “The answer depends in part on what foods Westerners can be persuaded to eat.”
Contact
Contact Name
Brian Hansen
Director of Environmental Protection, Safety and Sustainability