A growing ecological awareness is beginning to emerge as we find that conventional methods of interacting with the environment and using natural resources has consequences that threaten our quality of life and the well-being of future generations. We realize that we cannot use the Earth as we have in the past.

Ecosystem services — those natural systems that clean our air and water, provide flood control and enrich soils and offer wild food sources and pollination — are invaluable and irreplaceable. We are developing new ways of living, learning, working, playing and doing business that embody a spirit of environmental stewardship, concern for all living species and improved quality of life for everyone — today and into the future.

All of our daily actions and choices — everything we do, buy, sell and make — are about sustainability. This includes energy, waste, attitude, infrastructure, productivity, transportation, community, life-cycle assessment, product design, process flows, best practices, climate change, transparency, disclosure, accountability — and the list goes on.

Sustainability can be defined simply as meeting contemporary needs without compromising the ability of future stakeholders to satisfy their needs. Sustainability is not a destination; it is a process that requires thought leadership and acknowledging interdependence among the economy, the environment and social responsibility.

This multifaceted initiative focuses on both energy conservation and energy management, following a well-defined, systematic, strategic approach to increase energy efficiency and reduce associated negative impacts on the environment. The mission is to enhance the quality of daily life through our services and systems at every facility where we serve.

Core concepts of sustainability

Over the past 30 years, this definition has evolved to include a broader context for general organizational or business behaviors. There are three core measurements:

• Economic
• Environmental
• Social

In policy circles, these are referred to as the "triple bottom line" of sustainability, or sometimes stated as "people-planet-profit." Some of the largest global business and organizational operators have fully embraced sustainable practices for many years.

Globalized sustainable practices include:

• Underlying systems thinking
• Understanding the interconnections between the natural world and human societies
• Best use of technology
• Role of personal responsibility and empowerment
• Collective need for new visions
• Being ethical, having values and respecting nature

Guiding principles of sustainability

There is interdependence among ecological, economic and social factors in achieving sustainability:

• The concept of waste can and should be eliminated.
• Healthy natural systems are the basis for sustainable communities and economies.
• Future generations should be equal partners in decision-making.
• Local decisions have regional and global implications.
• Incentives are necessary to create sustainable behavior.
• Investment in the design phase of a process or product drives sustainable outcomes.
• Human relationships and a collaborative approach lead to sustainable solutions.

Why implement a sustainability initiative?

Strategic institutional benefits to prioritizing sustainability:

• Foster a culture of innovation and creativity
• Avoid increased costs for resources or waste management
• Stay ahead of new environmental laws or practices
• Strengthen your reputation, increase loyalty and improve stakeholder relations
• Retain employees and increase productivity while increasing meaningful citizen engagement
• Generate new revenue opportunities and increased market share
• Reduce exposure to future uncertainties and risks

Private institutions, as models for communities and hubs of research and innovation, have a mandate to support a thriving, ethical and civil society. Recognizing their impact on the environment and its social and economic consequences, many colleges, universities and private schools are striving to become more sustainable.

They are taking a leadership role in modeling sustainability by making it an integral part of operations, planning, facility design, purchasing and investments. These opportunities provide unparalleled opportunities for teaching, research and learning as they produce graduates who are prepared to meet the challenges facing society today.

"No institutions in modern society are better equipped to catalyze the necessary transition to a sustainable world than universities. They have access to the leaders of tomorrow and the leaders of today. They have buying and investment power. They are widely respected. Consequentially, what they do matters ... to the wider public." — David Orr, "The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror"

Institutions are being spotlighted in the media for their sustainability initiatives, and organizations such as the Advancement for Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) have been formed to help advance these efforts. Recent reports from organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club rate or rank colleges according to their level of sustainability.

The Princeton Review's annual "College Hopes and Worries Survey" reports that 63 percent of respondents said they would value information about a college's commitment to the environment, while 23 percent said such information would "strongly" impact their child's decision to apply to or attend the school.

Students, administrators, faculty and staff often experience resistance driving sustainability education-centric initiatives. In many instances, changes are inspired by individuals such as groundskeepers, energy managers, purchasing agents and recycling directors. Change is often driven more by ROI or realized through captured utility savings.

Additionally, environmental stewardship eco-initiatives such as bike-lending programs, campus community gardens and sustainability-themed degrees and programs of study are recruitment factors for today's students. Instilling cultural and environmental awareness in young adults only prepares them better for their undergraduate experience and instills eco-values transferable to their post-graduate opportunities.

The fact is, sustainability efforts reduce an institution's ecological footprint and operating costs while simultaneously improving the quality of services.