Lehigh’s Office of Sustainability has released its first annual progress report on the university’s Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030, a 10-year plan that establishes a long-term vision for sustainability at Lehigh.
The report shows progress towards each of the 113 goals in the plan.
“Our goal is to transparently show key progress to date in a way that is easily consumable by our campus community,” said Lehigh Sustainability Officer Katharine Targett Gross. “This first annual progress report shows the significant amount of progress that has been made by departments across the university over the last year.”
Lehigh has built tremendous momentum and has had numerous successes, such as achieving a gold rating in STARS and being one of five postsecondary institutions across the U.S. to be named a 2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School Postsecondary Sustainability Awardee. Additional goals achieved in the last year include:
- Development and launch of the Campus Sustainable Impact Fellowship
- Development and implementation of the Sustainable and Healthful Food Purchasing Policy
- Joined the Fair Labor Association as an institutional member
- Development of a Climate Action Strategy with anticipated release in early 2022
The development of the Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030 was an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental effort that builds on the university’s 2009 Climate Commitment, the 2012 Campus Sustainability Plan—the university’s first institutional sustainability road map—and the Campus Sustainability Plan 2020, which was adopted in 2016. The plan is fully integrated across campus.
In the next year, attention will shift to goals such as:
- Implementing the recommendations from the Climate Action Strategy for campus/building energy efficiency projects in a phased manner
- Establishing at least one sustainability learning outcome in each of the five colleges
- Installing additional electric vehicle charging stations on campus
“I invite you to review the progress report with your colleagues and students and consider how you and your peers can support Lehigh’s sustainability goals to help catalyze innovation and creativity for leadership among higher education institutions,” said Targett Gross.
Do you have an innovative and scalable idea to create a greener, more sustainable campus? Apply to the Sustainable Initiative Grant.
The Sustainable Initiative Grant provides financial resources to members of the Lehigh community who want to pilot innovative and scalable ideas to create a greener, more sustainable campus. One-time grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded to students, faculty and staff to facilitate green pilot projects. Learn more. Applications are due on the first of each month. Apply here.
Do you have questions or comments about the Sustainability Strategic Plan 2030 or the first progress report? Contact the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@lehigh.edu.
