New office dreaming up future of sustainability at the University

Erica Magda

Erica Magda

By Rachel Small

The newly formed Office of Sustainability, which opened after the fall semester began, is in the process of setting goals and defining its role in efforts to increase environmental sustainability at the University.

“We’re going through that careful process of listening and visioning with people right now,” said Richard Warner, the office’s director.

Warner said the office has been focusing on communicating with students, faculty and community members.

Angela Grossi, junior in LAS and secretary of Students for Environmental Concerns, said the office has been in contact with her group. She said they have not been working closely, but would welcome more coordinated efforts.

“We do a lot of stuff by ourselves, but we love to stay in contact with other environmental groups,” Grossi said.

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
Thank you for subscribing!

Warner said talking with students has led to a variety of ideas to be implemented next semester, when the office will truly “become public.” Current plans include public forums and more chances for student involvement.

“We’re going to actually have an idea competition for students to actually present some ideas about things that we could do that would save energy, as an example, or do other things that relate to sustainability on campus,” Warner said.

As outlined by Chancellor Richard Herman, part of the office’s purpose is to ensure that the University is fulfilling its responsibilities to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. The commitment is an agreement signed by the presidents or chancellors of more than 500 colleges and universities in an attempt to eliminate their colleges’ harmful effects on the environment.

“Sustainability offices have been, for a lot of schools, pretty key because they can coordinate across a lot of parts,” said Lee Bodner, executive director of ecoAmerica. “That is often a very important part of making sure it happens.”

Schools that are part of the commitment all have the same goal of climate neutrality, but no specific method for reaching that point must be used.

To encourage accountability and transparency, the Climate Commitment publishes on its Web site the progress reports institutions send in.

Warner said the office has already begun working on its next report to the Climate Commitment.

“We’re finalizing an inventory of our current carbon footprinting, and by the spring, we will be submitting a plan for how we will finally reduce the carbon footprint, of our goals and activities,” he said.

The new office has risen above the University’s previous “green” organization, the Environmental Council. Funding for the council has also been shared with the sustainability office, a total of $243,000 in 2009.

Warner said both staff and other resources are being moved from the Environmental Council to the Office of Sustainability.

The position of director was originally intended to be part-time, but was later changed to a full-time position after the office was established. Warner attributes this to students’ enthusiasm for the office’s goals.

The office helps student organizations track the funding they receive for various sustainability projects from student fees.

“I’ve been so impressed with the amount of time these student leaders have been putting in; their confidence, their dedication,” he said.