U Virginia Begins Decarbonization Academy
Over the course of the eight-week, immersive learning experience program, students from various disciplines work with faculty and staff to advance the university's 2030 carbon-neutral and 2050 fossil-free goals. Students spend 40 hours per week on projects and receive a $5,000 stipend.
Dartmouth College Announces Climate Collaborative
The Dartmouth Climate Collaborative is comprehensive program to address climate change through academic enterprises, campus operations and community engagement. As part of the initiative, the university will invest over $500 million over five years in improvements to campus infrastructure. It also launched the Climate Futures Initiative, a year-long effort to identify opportunities to drive climate scholarship and solutions.
Franklin U Switzerland Purchases 100% Hydroelectricity
The university recently announced the purchase of Guarantees of Origin to buy hydroelectricity to meet 100 percent demand for 2024 and 2025. The university's 2024 participation in the hydroelectricity program is sponsored by a company that is partnering with the sustainability office to develop an internship program to communicate the company’s sustainability commitment and efforts.
Johns Hopkins U Launches Campus as Lab Grants
Launched by the university's Sustainability Leadership Council and the Office of Sustainability, the new program enables Johns Hopkins researchers and instructors to test scalable sustainability solutions within the context of university infrastructure, operations, and administration. Researchers can get grants up to $50,000 while instructors are eligible for $12,000 and students $10,000.
Students at Six Universities File Legal Complaints About Fossil Fuel Investments
Student organizers at six universities in the U.S. wrote to the attorneys general of their respective states asking officials to scrutinize their universities’ investments. The students argue that by investing in coal, oil and gas, the schools are violating their obligations as non-profit organizations to prioritize the public interest.
Sulitest Launches The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge
The new online sustainability knowledge assessment tool, known as The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (TASK), aims to provide relevant and comparable metrics for tracking and monitoring sustainability education programs. Participants receive a certificate that allows them to share their sustainability knowledge. Approximately 20 universities and business schools have committed to certifying at least 75 percent of their graduate students with TASK within three years.
Concordia U Releases Event Guide With Social Sustainability
In addition to environmental considerations, the newly released sustainable event guide includes inclusion and accessibility goals, such as having diverse representation among organizers of large events and choosing locations that are accessible for those with mobility, visual or cognitive needs. The guide also reinforces the use of territorial acknowledgments, a practice that aims to include and recognize Indigenous people and perspectives, and fosters awareness and respect from non-Indigenous participants.
