Modeling Sustainable Practices
Sustainability is about meeting the needs of today without compromising the opportunities of tomorrow. OSI guides Emory’s efforts to meet the challenges of social, environmental, and economic sustainability across the University, Oxford College, and Emory Healthcare and supports our community to serve as a model of sustainable practices, from restoring and protecting ecosystems, to fostering healthy living for community members and supporting local businesses.
The last two decades have seen the growth of flagship sustainability programs at Emory, like the Emory Farmers Market, Green Offices and Labs programs, and Piedmont Project, through which participating faculty integrate sustainability into their curricula. The campus has also been transformed physically: from solar panels on rooftops to multi-stream waste bin systems in campus buildings and the WaterHub redistributing recycled wastewater across campus. Emory leadership has made commitments to climate action and plastic use reduction. Most importantly, Emory’s network of sustainability champions today expands across its campuses, bringing together the Emory community and educating the next generation of sustainability professionals and partners.
This page celebrates and commemorates Emory’s two decades of formalized action and accomplishment in sustainability.
The People Who Made it Possible
Emory’s progress toward a more sustainable future could not have occurred without the hard work and dedication of countless people over two decades. Not only those who have served as sustainability staff over the years, but also the students, faculty, staff, and community partners who have collaborated with OSI since 2006. OSI thanks and honors its partner offices, the volunteers that participate in the office’s many programs, and the students that organize on campus and beyond.
OSI’s Next 20 Years
As OSI’s first 20 years of formalized sustainability action at Emory come to a close, and we reflect on all that has been achieved. But more importantly, we look forward to consider Emory’s priorities for the next 20 years. Click the headings below to explore a few of Emory’s sustainability priorities for the decades to come and to learn how to get involved.
Climate and Clean Energy
The next several decades are critical for action on climate change, both for Emory and the wider world. Emory has committed to reducing its atmosphere-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from a 2010 baseline by 2030 and to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Emory also aims to align with the City of Atlanta by achieving 100% clean energy procurement by 2030. To achieve these goals, OSI and the wider Emory community must continue to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency and drive culture change toward climate-friendly behaviors.
Break Free from Plastic Initiative
On June 28, 2021, in response to advocacy from the student group Plastic Free Emory, Chancellor and former President Gregory L. Fenves signed a Break Free from Plastic Pledge on behalf of Emory University and Oxford College with the intention of reducing the use of single-use plastics on Emory’s campuses. The agreement commits Emory to establishing a task force to enact the pledge, implementing a year-by-year SUP reduction strategy, implementing purchasing guidelines to eliminate the procurement of unnecessary SUPs in the future, investing in education, resources, and infrastructure to reduce SUP use on campus, and increasing efforts to align with City of Atlanta policies. Read reporting on the signature of the pledge here and explore options for getting involved here.
In 2025, Emory convened a task force to guide the creation of a Break Free from Plastic Plan, which is currently in progress. Over the coming years, OSI and Emory will prioritize the implementation of the Break Free from Plastic Pledge and Plan, aiming to reduce plastic use on campus.
Engagement
In the mid 2020s, OSI has increased efforts to engage with the Emory community to expand the on-campus sustainability network and educate students, faculty, and staff on sustainable life and work on campus. Through OSI’s fellow program, the office has hired recent graduates with passion for sustainability engagement, and has held programs, events, and communications campaigns to regain some of the engagement opportunities that were diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic. As OSI steps into its next 20 years, we intend to continue this expanded engagement effort and increase efforts to connect with faculty and staff as well as students. We look forward to meeting you on campus! Explore further opportunities for involvement here.
