Anti-Racist interventions to Transform Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology
A group of faculty, staff and students in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz has compiled a set of recommendations for departments of ecology, evolution and conservation biology to address shortcomings in equity and inclusion. The recommendations are based on a review of the literature in an effort to identify evidence-based interventions for fostering anti-racism in the classroom, within research labs, and department-wide.
New Issue: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The latest issue of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education features research on knowledge, attitudes and practice of sustainability by university students, integrating sustainability into master of public administration curriculum, integrating and reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals, and strategies and a model for implementing a sustainability internship program.
Climate Solutions 101
Climate Solutions 101 is a series of six short videos produced by the nonprofit organization Project Drawdown that not only explores the problem of climate change but also introduces a set of economically and technologically viable solutions that science has shown can put the brakes on climate change by 2050. The videos are available at no charge to educators, along with supplementary video conversations with experts from around the world, and downloadable graphics they can share with students or add to their own presentations.
Guide to Sustainable Retirements
The guide, released by Intentional Endowments Network, aims to address misconceptions related to the use of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) funds in retirement plans. In addition, the guide contains modules on fiduciary duty concerns, a how-to guide for plan sponsors evaluating the addition of ESG funds to retirement plans, and steps outlining how to advocate for ESG integration in retirement plans.
Net Zero Endowments Briefing Paper
Net Zero Endowments to Address the Climate Crisis and Lead a Just Transition is a briefing paper that provides a basic overview of the concept of net zero portfolios and its intersections with racial equity and a just transition. The paper also includes links to key reports, resources and initiatives in the field designed to help investors make a net zero commitment. This resource was developed and published by the Intentional Endowments Network.
Partnership Pedagogy Toolkit
The Partnership Pedagogy Toolkit, developed by the University of Oregon’s Center for Environmental Futures, provides faculty and other parties with information about how and why to do community-engaged learning and participatory action research, with an emphasis on social justice, economic dignity and empowered communities.
Best Practices Guide: Laboratory Resilience
This guide was created by volunteer members of the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) to help labs better prepare for future uncertainties, including pandemics or the impacts of climate change. I2SL is hosting a webinar on this guide on June 17 (see the events section below for more details).
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculation Tool
The World Resource Institute and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol are seeking beta testers for a free, Excel-based tool, the GHG Emissions Calculation Tool, that estimates greenhouse gas emissions.
#RealCollege 2021: Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic
This report examines the pandemic’s impact on the college students who were able to continue their education in this challenging environment. Released by The Hope Center, this report analyzes results from the 2020 #RealCollege Survey, completed by more than 195,000 students attending 202 colleges and universities in 42 states.
Educating the Next Generation of Sustainable Investment Leaders Report
This report from the Intentional Endowments Network compiles information on the 40 sustainably invested student-managed investment funds (SMIFs) engaged in The SIILK Network (IEN's student and faculty facing work), and highlights the assets under management, fund structure, and sustainable investing strategies used by student-managed investment funds.
Restore Our Earth Climate Education Week Toolkit
Earthday.org acknowledges Climate Education Week from April 19-23 with Earth Day on Thursday, April 22. This toolkit provides a daily focus for Climate Education Week related to the 2021 theme of Restore Our Earth. It is designed for educators, parents or motivated students who want to explore ways to learn more about the local impacts of climate change and how people can work together to restore our earth through individual and community civic action.
Environmental Justice Timeline & Teaching Resources
The environmental justice timeline, compiled by Earthday.org, spans over 200 years from 1720 to 2020 and features major scientific achievements, environmental policy, heroes, contamination and extinction setbacks, and other events that were cemented into history. While not exhaustive, the timeline serves as a starting point for students to explore the history, understand the connections, and start a conversation on environmental and climate justice. There are activity instructions, and a PDF and slide deck of the timeline.
Examination of US University Sustainability & Recovery Activities
Released by the Resource Recycling Systems, the new report provides an overview of recycling, organics recovery and sustainability activities on U.S. university and college campuses. Key findings include 63 percent of schools sampled (312) have an established recycling program on campus; 33 percent of schools sampled have some type of composting available on campus, however, programs vary in type of accepted materials; and of the schools sampled, the average recycling rate was 24 percent, and the diversion rate, including recycling and composting, was approximately 45 percent.
Basic Needs Insecurity in the Higher Education Instructional Workforce
A new report from the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice analyzed the rates of basic needs insecurity among faculty and staff from almost 550 instructional staff from four community colleges and one university. According to the report, 38 percent of respondents surveyed experienced some form of basic needs insecurity in 2019.
GRITS 4.0: GRITS Goals
Users of GRITS (Green Revolving Investment Tracking System) are now able to develop detailed climate action plan models or track an existing plan's impacts by assembling their projects into resource reduction scenarios at the institution-wide, campus/site, or building scale. GRITS Goals combines the platform’s business case analysis with customizable project timelines and dynamic charting to map out pathways from business-as-usual to aggressive energy, carbon and other resource reduction targets. GRITS is a platform designed by Sustainable Endowments Institute to help institutions analyze, track and share the energy, financial and carbon-saving impacts of their sustainability projects.
University Air Travel Offset Policy: A Case Study
This case study looks at California State University East Bay's new policy to offset greenhouse gas emissions from university-funded air travel by charging a carbon fee. The monies from the initiative are invested in on-campus projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Evolution of Proxy Carbon Pricing Implementation at Princeton University: A Case Study
Released by Second Nature, this case study discusses Princeton University's process of implementing a proxy carbon price to evaluate physical infrastructure decisions for both capital planning and energy conservation projects on its campus. It uses the proxy carbon price as a strategy to bias cost study evaluations toward more energy efficient systems in order to advance carbon reduction goals.
New Issue: Sustainability: The Journal of Record
The latest issue includes research on sustainability reporting platforms and the degree to which they capture virtual learning, and achieving renewable energy solutions through community engagement. Also, this issue features a review of a book, "Greenovation: Urban Leadership on Climate Change", and sustainability resources.
I2SL Operational Practices Module
The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) added a new module to its Laboratory Benchmarking Tool, the Operational Practices module. This module allows users to compare policies and practices, such as lab ventilation management plans, occupant engagement activities, high-performance fume hoods, and other technologies used in similar lab types.
Active Ownership in the Endowment: Warren Wilson College Case Study
The Intentional Endowment Network's case study, "Warren Wilson College: Active Ownership in the Endowment", describes a path endowments can follow using ownership stake to ensure that companies are adequately addressing environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities.
USGBC Integrative Process Curriculum Toolkit
The toolkit, curated by the U.S. Green Building Council, provides higher education faculty with resources and processes organized to aid in teaching about and engaging students in the concepts of applying the integrative process to green building design, construction, and operations.
NWF Career Services Toolkit
Published by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), this toolkit is designed for career services professionals, guidance counselors, teachers and other educational professionals to provide a framework and process for utilizing the NWF's EcoCareers resources in their classes, on their campuses, and in coordination with other academic and career development programming.
Roadmap for Change: Reimagining US Higher Education as a Public Good
Released by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the "Roadmap for Change: Reimagining U.S. Higher Education as a Public Good" report lists six ways to fundamentally change the educational system with the goal of providing equal opportunity for all students to achieve an education beyond high school.
Get the Vote Out On Your Campus Resource
The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) has compiled a state-by-state resource with voting information for the November 2020 elections that colleges and universities can share broadly with their campus communities. Each state-specific one-pager details how, when and where to vote in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
New Issue: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The new issue of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education includes research about sustainability literacy through sport organizations, students' knowledge and expectations about sustainability food systems, students' perception of environmental concern entering and leaving college, sustainability in engineering curriculum, and city-university partnerships.
College Campus Vote By Mail Playbook
The College Playbook to Drive Voter Turnout is a resource from the Vote By Mail Information Center aimed at helping groups run email campaigns encouraging students to register to vote and to vote by mail. The playbook includes five steps to increase voter turnout in November and keep students safe by using digital tools to register and vote.
Energy Star Portfolio Manager Report
Using data from the Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool, this paper includes data on buildings that report on-site generation of renewable energy, including their type, location and Energy Star scores. It also details current trends in energy metering and the challenges of properly tracking onsite renewable energy use to understand the energy efficiency of buildings.
The Little Book of Green Nudges
The Little Book of Green Nudges, released by the U.N. Environment Program, is a guide to reducing the campus environmental impact through behavioral change. It summarizes the evidence around what nudges work best while seeking to encourage more sustainable practices among students and staff across several behavioral categories. It also provides simple guidance on how to implement and evaluate behavioral interventions in a variety of contexts.
Report on Supporting Vulnerable Campus Populations During the Pandemic
Published by the American College Health Association, this document names African American, Black, Asian American, first generation/low income, international, Latinx, LGBTQ+, Native American, and undocumented students, as well as students with disabilities as groups that have not only experienced the pandemic's disproportionate impact, but the economic fallout, racism and health disparities that have been at the intersection of the public health crisis. It also provides considerations for higher education institutions to support the populations who are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and the ensuing economic downturn.
New Issue: Sustainability: The Journal of Record
The latest issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record features an open access article about a campus solid waste move-out program at Eckerd College, and a case study about high-impact sustainability practices at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
Investing in Racial Equity: A Primer for College & University Endowments
Released by Intentional Endowments Institute, this primer is intended to be a catalyst for conversation and action on racial equity for fiduciaries of university endowments. The resource discusses the current state of racial inequity in the U.S. as it relates to the long-term sustainability of the economy; the unique, underappreciated opportunity available to college and university endowments in racial equity investing; and the variety of tools, products, partners and best practices available.
Smart Labs Toolkit
The Smart Labs Toolkit describes a systematic process that helps laboratory owners and operators plan and cost-effectively achieve safe, efficient and sustainable laboratories. The toolkit includes results of best practices and lessons learned from the Better Buildings Smart Labs Accelerator. It helps organizations implement a Smart Labs program by following distinct phases that include specific tasks and resources proven to deliver high performance labs, support efforts of key stakeholders, and maximize benefits for the organization.
