About Us
The Sustainability Office is the central hub for coordinating and advising on institution-wide sustainability efforts and initiatives. We collaborate with units, schools, and offices across all of the University’s campuses, as well as with community partners and organizations. We plan, implement, and communicate sustainability initiatives to reduce resource consumption and the University’s overall carbon footprint. We work to support the integration of sustainability into our education, research, patient care, and operations.
What is sustainability?
The University of Rochester defines “sustainability” in accordance with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE): “AASHE defines sustainability in a pluralistic and inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations. Thus, it includes performance indicators related to, for example, ecological integrity, social and economic justice, and democratic governance.”
AASHE adds: “Before exploring popular definitions and models of sustainability, it is important to note that Indigenous peoples practiced sustainability long before the term existed. Indigenous and local knowledge—the understandings, skills and philosophies developed by societies with long histories of interaction with their natural surroundings—are often essential in addressing sustainability challenges.”
Planning for a sustainable future
The University’s Sustainability Plan provides the framework for further integrating sustainability into everything we do. Through outlining our guiding principles and commitments to sustainability in line with the University’s Boundless Possibility strategic plan, identifying the activities that support these commitments, and developing measurable objectives, this framework paves the way towards an ever more sustainable University.
Meet the team
The Sustainability Office serves the entire University community (students, staff, faculty, medical enterprises, off-sites) to provide resources, offer program oversight and guidance, and foster a culture that integrates sustainability into everyday thinking.