Office of Sustainability
Building a Sustainable Campus and a Greener Future.
UConn Office of Sustainability
The UConn Office of Sustainability leads the way for campus sustainability efforts. We provide guidelines, direction and support for sustainability in all sectors, from infrastructure to student outreach, and create programs that enhance engagement and awareness around sustainable practices and behaviors at UConn and in the community.
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Action Areas
Community Engagement
Operations
Finance
Academics & Research
Performance Dashboard
Sustainability Guiding Documents
- 2020 Vision Plan for Campus Sustainability and Climate Leadership
- Sustainability Framework Plan
- 2019-2021 Sustainability Progress Report
- President's Working Group on Sustainability and the Environment Report: Transforming UConn to a Zero Carbon Campus: A Path Forward
- Active Transportation Plan
- UConn Aims to Achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2030
Sustainability News
News from the Office of Sustainability
The steering committee for the UConn@COP Fellowship Program is pleased to extend a call for expressions of interest by UConn faculty and staff members who are interested in joining the UConn@COP28 contingent as it travels to Dubai, UAE from November 30th – December 7th, 2023 to attend the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP28) climate change conference.
Critically, participation in the formal Fellowship Program and travel with the group require all travel expenses, including flight and hotel fees be self-funded. The UConn contingent will be staying at the Aloft Me’Aisam in Dubai.
Due to space limitations, only two faculty and staff members will be able to stay with the group as part of the official delegation. Nonetheless, anyone already planning to attend the conference is more than welcome to meet with the UConn delegation in Dubai.
Please note, conference passes are scarce and not guaranteed. Priority for passes will be given to students before faculty or staff members. We encourage applicants to seek alternative sources for obtaining an official UN conference badge.
Opportunities to contribute to the program include:
- Leading topic-specific “breakfast club” conversations in the mornings at the conference with the UConn@COP fellows
- Participating in group cultural immersion excursions
- Leading or participating in pre-travel educational meetings
- Participating in the COP@UConn Symposium (formerly called Climate Change Café) after returning to campus
To submit your expression of interest, please email the UConn@COP steering committee at sustainability@uconn.edu by July 24th. Please be sure to address the following questions in your email:
- What contributions to the UConn@COP Fellowship Program might you offer the students?
- What will you gain professionally by joining the UConn delegation attending COP28?
Please feel free to email the UConn@COP Fellowship Program steering committee with any questions, at: sustainability@uconn.edu
Dear UConn community,
As a proud ally of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual community, I am writing today to mark the significance of the Stonewall Uprising and to highlight a few personal experiences that define the value and importance of human rights and equity.
Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising of June 28, 1969. Stonewall helped galvanize and catalyze a global movement for LGBTQIA+ rights and liberation. For my family and I, Pride is a celebration of personal freedom and expression and of the unique capacity and value that every human possesses. It is also a recognition that the work must continue and that it is our collective responsibility to stand up for justice and equity.
I am personally influenced by the many LGBTQIA+ people who are striving to make the world a more just and equitable place in their own way. I am particularly inspired by my sister-in-law, who as a chef has overcome bigotry, misogyny and the all-to-frequent toxic masculinity of the food service industry to become one of the world’s leading plant-based culinary experts. She has done all this with deep authenticity and commitment to her core values. She shares her enthusiasm for food and its abilities to bring people together freely and is an especially magnetic personality to my 7-year-old son. I know he loves her for their shared cooking adventures but her influence on him to ‘always be yourself’ is obvious and critical. It does more than any father could enumerate in words. He knows, through her extraordinary example, how to embrace and celebrate differences.
It is these types of relationships – full of love, kindness and acceptance – that are to be gained when, as allies, we celebrate the accomplishments, contributions and uniquely valuable perspectives of people from all walks of life. For my young son and his peers, I want our world to be a joyful, verdant and peaceful place.
That is exactly what my family and I experienced in my own small town’s first Pride parade earlier this month. Hundreds of people come together to celebrate diversity and the genuine feeling of belonging was palpable. My son was so excited to take part in the parade and to be welcomed by so many different people and families. Through this experience he learned a lot about what it means to be proud of who you are…. and I know he was not the only young person who felt empowered and inspired.
Here at UConn, I am also inspired and energized by the many activities, organizations, and groups that strive for justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. The Vergnano Institute for Inclusion and the Rainbow Center are just a few that are committed to creating a campus where all people feel safe and welcome, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Here at the Office of Sustainability we are committed to helping build and maintain a healthy, inclusive community as well; A community that is as talented and authentic as my sister, as joyous and inclusive as a small-town Pride parade and as influential and impactful as the Queer Science Conference.
Specifically, this Office is committed to supporting LGBTQIA+ people by:
- Using inclusive language and pronouns.
- Being an ally in the workplace and in the classroom.
- Challenging discrimination and harassment.
- Participating in LGBTQIA+ events and activities.
- Supporting LGBTQIA+ organizations.
I know that by working together, we will create a more welcoming, vibrant and empowering environment for all! Happy Pride!
Sincerely,
Joe Fullerton
Director of the Office of Sustainability
joseph.fullerton@uconn.edu
Applications for EcoCaptain Interns for the Fall ’23/Spring ’24 semesters are now open.
EcoCaptain Interns serve as paid sustainability champions and ambassadors for the Office of Sustainability. In collaboration with ResLife, this program allows for EcoCaptains to lead sustainability related programming and educational activities in their Storrs residence halls. Below are some of responsibilities of an EcoCaptain:
- Work 5 hours per week @ $15.00/hr
- Collaborate with Hall Directors and Resident Assistants to lead sustainability related programming and educational activities in residence halls
- Attend monthly EcoCaptain Intern meetings
- Provide weekly updates to OS staff and intern leads
- Participate in EcoCaptain Intern trainings and team building
- Participate and encourage student participation in Office of Sustainability led events and programming such as EcoMadness, RecycleThon, Green Game Days, Earth Day Spring Fling, and Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) trail maintenance events.
- Distribute Recycling Bags and Sustainability Activity books to residents
- Lead sustainability education and engagement activities in residence halls like the following:
- Weekly recycling audits and scoring
- Monthly hall meetings about different topics related to sustainability
- Environmental film screenings or movie nights, discussion forums, guest speakers
- EcoCaptain “office hours” where people can ask questions about sustainability or give suggestions
- Educational flyers, social media, etc.
- Weekly tips for living more sustainably
- Volunteer clean-up events
- Week-long or one-day events or activities, such as a “power-down” day or other fun competitions
Apply HERE.
Dear UConn community,
As we observe Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the UConn Office of Sustainability would like to recognize and celebrate the important contributions of the AAPI community in advancing sustainability and environmental justice.
The AAPI community is a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, and traditions, many of which have a deep connection to the natural world and a respect for the environment. From the indigenous communities of the Pacific Islands to ancient practices of sustainable agriculture in China, AAPI cultures have long recognized the interdependence of human health and well-being with the health of our planet.
Currently, AAPI activists and leaders are at the forefront of the fight for environmental justice, advocating for policies that prioritize the health and safety of marginalized communities and working to build a more just and sustainable world for all. Examples of these efforts include the work of organizations like the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, which has been fighting for environmental justice in AAPI communities for over two decades, and the Youth Climate Strike movement, which was founded by AAPI youth activists and has played a key role in raising awareness about the urgent need for climate action.
At UConn, we are committed to supporting and uplifting the voices of all communities in our efforts to build a more sustainable and just future. As we reflect on the significant contributions of the Asian and Pacific Islander community during this heritage month, we recommit ourselves to advancing sustainability and environmental justice for all.
Sincerely,
Joe Fullerton
Director of the Office of Sustainability
joseph.fullerton@uconn.edu
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