Sustainability has been a buzzword in higher education for a while, and yet we still find it surprising. You mean students really take into account how green a university is before deciding where to study? That’s right, our conversational insights tell us so—particularly when it comes to Gen Z. Although, we know mature students are also interested to know what initiatives the institutions they’re considering have in place. 

So, the challenge is not only to ensure your prospective students are in the know of just how green your institution is but to ensure your current students are as actively involved as possible. The conversation needs to go from what your institution is doing to stay green to what your institution and students are doing together. 

We take a look at some of the universities in the US already smashing their green goals and how you can incorporate these tactics into your marketing strategy in the new year. 

Brown University 

Brown University takes pride in prioritizing sustainability and makes it known to its current and prospective students. 

“At Brown, sustainability is part of everything we do, from the way we operate our campus, to what we teach in the classroom, to our research around the world.”

The team at Brown have taken their sustainability initiatives seriously and have gone one step further to come up with a Sustainability Strategic Plan: 

“Developed in consultation with faculty experts, students, staff, and other community members, the plan is a departure from the campus sustainability efforts in recent decades. 

Rather than outlining broad sets of untargeted initiatives, Brown’s plan identifies five key commitments to action in areas that are of utmost global concern and where Brown is best positioned to effect real change. Those commitments are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce nutrient pollution, safeguard human health, reduce water use and associated impact, and curb biodiversity loss.”

Brown University also does a great job of getting its students involved in its sustainability initiatives. When it comes to peer-to-peer recruitment, its sustainability ambassadors have no problem showing prospects that they are active and engaged with all sustainability projects. From Winter Sustainability newsletters to Waste Campaigns, the Brown students have it covered.

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill 

Not only is it home to some of the most gorgeous green spaces we’ve seen on any campus, it’s also home to some brilliant green initiatives. The team at UNC Chapel Hill launched Sustainable Carolina back in 2020 and has gone above and beyond to ensure that sustainability is a priority on campus ever since.

“Sustainable Carolina is the University’s comprehensive initiative to advance and amplify all sustainability activities, including reducing the University’s environmental footprint through three goals: net-zero water usage, zero waste to landfills, and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.”

Not to mention, Chapel Hill was also fortunate enough to land the Champion Sustainability Fund. This gift provided the university with $1 million in funding to make its sustainability dreams a reality and set it to launch successful, creative, and innovative sustainability programs.

Cornell University

Cornell University has done a great job at establishing a successful sustainability campaign: Sustainable Campus. And the campaign does just that—it ensures that the school does everything to make its campus as sustainable as possible.

“Cornell aspires to both demonstrate and create best practices using our own facilities, but also to affect global change through collaboration and partnership. We amplify impact by using our campus as a living laboratory for climate innovation.

Cornell was the first Ivy League university and one of the first fifty institutions in the nation to sign the carbon neutrality pledge. Over 400+ campuses participate and are committed to reaching carbon neutrality and publicly reporting on progress.”

And Cornell’s created not one but two sustainability strategic plans: a Climate Action Plan and a Sustainability Campus Plan. The goals are clear and visible to all and the mission is to promote the idea that sustainability is everyone’s responsibility.

The 4 key green goals at Cornell include:

• Carbon Neutrality by 2035
• Renewable Power
• Earth Source Heat
• Climate Change Literacy 

And that’s not all. Cornell’s worked out a brilliant way to get its students and community involved. It’s offering a Campus Energy Reduction Grant  “to support initiatives and campus upgrades that measurably reduce energy consumption on campus.” The new grant aims to empower the campus to identify and implement deeper energy savings projects where they live, work, and learn.

This project will not only get students actively involved—it will make sustainability something both students and staff can work on together. 

Iowa State University

One of the first to go green and prioritize sustainability of any US campus, Iowa State University leads the way with its Live Green! campaign. Launched in 2008, the initiative was created for all students, staff, and the larger community to come together and make a difference on campus.

The project was designed to make ISU an energy-efficient campus where everyone is involved. It includes educating its students and constantly sharing their environmentally conscious works through newsletters, social media, and their ambassadors.

Students are given the chance to really make a difference and be proactive in their approach. A great example is their Live Green! Award for Excellence in Sustainability. 

“The Live Green! Excellence Awards recognize Iowa State University students, faculty, and staff who make an impact on campus sustainability efforts by generating awareness and interest through initiatives that focus on teaching, research, outreach, and/or operations. These awards celebrate efforts across all aspects of the university, whether student, faculty, staff, individual or team efforts.”

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia prides itself as one of the nine institutes of higher education in America to be recognized as a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Striking the right balance between making its staff and students responsible wasn’t too much of a challenge. It’s a committed institution, working hard to engage the community and empower its students to live green. 

Some of its projects include the Green Workplace Program, the Green Labs program, and the recycling program. Taking part in these means both individual students and groups have the opportunity to engage in activities to support the reduction of wasted resources during research, work, and everyday life.

University of Maryland College Park

Last but by no means least is the University of Maryland College Park. The team at UMD has done a great job at making sustainability a joint effort by students and staff. Everyone at the university takes part in developing and implementing initiatives that actually work and make both the campus and its surrounding communities more environmentally friendly. 

They take pride in collaborating with local organizations and give students the opportunity to get involved through volunteering projects and internships. The institution currently boasts more than twenty student groups that are enthusiastic and take the lead on different environmental issues.

Read more about sustainability and its impact along the higher ed journey in our Global Perspective piece: The green new standard for student decision-making criteria.

Words by Lina Bastidas – Content Marketing Manager