Sustainability at Concordia
Where We Go From Here
Eighteen months ago President Pamela Jolicoeur formed a Concordia College sustainability task force to begin a serious and strategic look at ways to move the campus community forward on issues of environmental sustainability.
During the course of the task force’s deliberations, the decision was made to contract with the Center for Sustainable Building Research at the University of Minnesota to assist us. The Roadmap is their report back to us.
Having collected data from the Concordia physical plant, visited our campus on three occasions, and met with members of the task force, the consultants produced this vision for how we might move forward over the next months and years. This is not a Concordia policy document, but rather a working document designed to stimulate communication, enhance the education of the community, and prompt action. The report itself is divided into five general categories: food, water, waste, buildings, and transportation.
These areas were identified by the Concordia task force in conversation with the consultants and represent, in our view, the most important issues facing the campus community. The next step will be to form five working groups to begin setting priorities and to move the community from concept to action. This major effort will involve students, staff, faculty, and administration in a common task.
We invite you to engage the report constructively and send us your observations and questions.
Read the Roadmap to a Sustainable Campus
Sincerely,
James Aageson
Chair, Sustainability Task Force
What We're Doing Already
From campus-wide recycling to adding native trees and plants to the grounds and using energy efficient appliances in Dining Services, Concordia is making strides towards environmental sustainability.
But what is environmental sustainability? It means having a responsible impact on the earth, being thoughtful stewards so resources are available for future generations. It means using air, water, land and other resources in a careful way to sustain human life indefinitely into the future, protecting the viability of all species in our ecosystems and passing on to our descendents an earth as livable as we received it from our forebearers. At Concordia, it means doing what we can within our own small footprint on the globe to protect and preserve.
Concordia is currently partnering with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research to explore the college’s own environmental sustainability and develop a campus-wide strategy.
Here are some of the steps we’re already taking towards sustainability:
Sustainability
