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Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It鈥檚 about using our resources responsibly, but it鈥檚 also about making sure all people today and in the future can thrive. The concept of聽sustainability聽is comprised of three pillars: environment, society, and economy. When a system is good for the environment, people, and the economy, we get closer to achieving sustainability.

In 2009, 国产小呦女 signed Second Nature鈥檚 , acknowledging the threat of climate change and the unique role universities can play in fighting it. The Office of Sustainability was created to assess AU鈥檚 impact on the environment and work with the community to improve our campus systems to lessen that impact. Since then, we have聽been working to measure, report, partner, and act on a wide variety of sustainable activities. In 2018, 国产小呦女became the first university to achieve carbon neutrality. We also fully divested our endowment from fossil fuels in 2020 and聽released our current sustainability plan in 2021, and in 2024, we broke ground on the Meltzer Center, which is designed to be our first and 产耻颈濒诲颈苍驳.听

Yes, we track and report on our progress in several ways. We calculate and report our annual inventory of greenhouse gas emissions through . To measure progress in the environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability work, 国产小呦女uses the (STARS). Finally, we evaluate our progress against AU鈥檚 sustainability plan.

At 国产小呦女, many departments and organizations are engaging with sustainability on campus. The Office of Sustainability, Facilities Management (which includes Zero Waste, Arboretum and Grounds, and Energy and Engineering teams), Transportation, and Dining Services are all actively engaged in implementing sustainability initiatives. In addition, offices across campus are certified Green Offices, over 600 faculty members are certified Green Teachers, and numerous student organizations are centered around at least one aspect of sustainability.

国产小呦女builds all new buildings to standards. AU鈥檚 campus is currently home to 10聽LEED-certified buildings, with an additional聽building聽in the process of becoming certified. In addition to investing in offsite renewable energy, 国产小呦女has installed nearly 2,500 solar panels on rooftops across campus.

Yes. 国产小呦女offers several programs to encourage and incentivize聽sustainable commuting, including聽the U-Pass program,聽a bicycle commuter benefit for staff and faculty, and聽discounted memberships to Capital Bikeshare for students. A map of biking resources can be found .

We鈥檇 be happy to assist. First, please review our聽website; the answers to many common questions can be found throughout the site. Then, you are welcome to contact聽sustainability@american.edu to schedule a time to meet with an聽Office of Sustainability staff member. When writing, provide as much information about your project as possible. Please note: If you are working on a group project, please meet with us as a group. We do not have the capacity to meet with group members individually. In addition, please contact us as early as possible;聽last minute requests cannot always fit into our schedule.

Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, 国产小呦女 became the first university, first urban higher education institution, and first research university to achieve carbon neutrality. To learn more about AU's journey to carbon neutrality and the verification process, visit our Carbon Neutrality page.