Emory University strives to integrate sustainability into every aspect of student life. Find resources, events, and opportunities to learn, lead, and live a sustainable life at Emory.
Acknowledging the ancestral peoples and land
Did you know that Emory University and Emory Healthcare are located on land that was the ancestral home of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation? The Muscogee (Creek) people were forcibly removed from states like Georgia and Alabama during the Trail of Tears relocation (1830-1838), a shameful part of our history when the federal government forced Indigenous Peoples across the region to leave their ancestral homes. In 1836, Emory University was founded on part of this land. It is important for us to acknowledge, honor, and respect the land we now call home.
GET INVOLVED
- Prepare for your first year with our Sustainability Orientation guides for Undergraduates, Graduate & Professional Students, and Oxford College.
- Take the Sustainability Pledge. It’s quick, easy — and demonstrates your commitment to living green!
- Be a sustainability leader through internships, clubs, and volunteer opportunities. Learn more about former OSI interns who were chosen two years in a row as Emory’s Student Employee of the Year in 2018 and 2019.
- Need funding for a sustainable idea on campus? Apply for one of OSI’s Incentives Funds.
- Check out our Events Calendar for upcoming events on campus.
KEEP IT SUSTAINABLE
- Find out how to recycle and compost on campus, and how you can help us achieve zero landfill waste as a Zero Waste Ambassador.
- Enjoy locally and sustainably sourced food in campus cafes and coffee shops and learn to grow your own food in the Educational Gardens on campus.
- Opt for greener transportation to, from, and around campus.
LEARN MORE
- Undergraduate and graduate students have many opportunities to take sustainability courses; pursue sustainability minors, concentrations, certificates and degrees; and contribute to sustainability-related research at Emory.
- Get more details by reading the Emory Sustainability Vision and Strategic Plan.
- Emory is implementing multi-faceted, evidence-based climate solutions on campus. Learn more about the institution’s work and ways to contribute individually.
- Sign up for the Office of Sustainability e-newsletter; follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Helpful Documents and Links for Current and Prospective Students
| Title | Initiative | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 General Sustainability & Social Justice Incentives Fund Application | All Initiatives | Forms | The Office of Sustainability Initiatives provides Incentives Funds to support research, campus-based projects, and the development of new rituals to promote sustainability on Emory’s campuses. We welcome creative proposals that seek new knowledge, support new behavior patterns, and foster cultural change. Faculty, staff and students from Emory University, Oxford College and Emory Healthcare are eligible to apply. Projects that are centered on the social justice facets of sustainability or highlight the social justice impacts of their project or research are encouraged to apply. Applications are due no later than 8:00AM EST on September 27, 2021. |
| Emory Climate Coalition Press Release – October 13, 2021 | Buildings, Climate Solutions, Energy, Purchasing, Social Justice, Transportation, Wellbeing | Documents & Reports | Emory Climate Coalition Press Release - October 13, 2021 |
| Emory University 2018 Waste Policy FAQs | Waste | Documents & Reports, Guides | The Emory Waste Policy was developed by Emory’s Waste Think Tank, made up of experts in a variety of Emory departments, and is supported by the President’s Leadership Council, the University Senate, and unit Deans. The policy is being jointly implemented by Campus Services and the Office of Sustainability Initiatives. |
| Emory University STARS Report | All Initiatives | Documents & Reports | The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS®) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to gauge relative progress toward sustainability. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community. |
| How to Recycle and Compost at Emory University | Waste | Videos | Dawn Francis-Chewning’s video shows how easy it is to recycle common recyclables and hard-to-recycle materials at Emory. Dawn is an Educational Analyst at LITS Student Digital Life, and her video “Emory’s Sustainable Waste Streams” won third place in the Emory Office of Sustainability Initiatives Waste Video Competition. |
| Recycling and Composting at Emory University | Waste | Guides | Landfills have negative social, economic, and environmental impacts on neighboring lower-income, historically disadvantaged communities. Landfills contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and can leak harmful toxins into the surrounding environment. Learn about recycling and composting at Emory with this helpful brochure! |
| Reducing and Diverting Waste in a Pandemic | Waste | Documents & Reports | Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Emory community will continue to see large amounts of disposables and personal protective equipment (PPE) on campus. OSI wants to remind and encourage the Emory community to choose reusables, and when single-use items cannot be avoided, to dispose of them in the correct waste stream. |
| Spring 2021 Clairmont Move Out Map | Buildings, Waste | Documents & Reports | Find the locations of donation trucks, kiosks, and dumpsters on the map provided. |
| Spring 2021 Main Campus Move Out Map | Buildings, Waste | Documents & Reports | Map of donation trucks, kiosks and waste areas for students moving out of Main Campus. |
| Spring 2021 Move Out Flyer | Buildings, Waste | Documents & Reports | The Spring 2021 Move Out Flyer provides instructions for sorting recyclables, compostables, and donations. |
| Student Sustainability Showcase Virtual Guide Spring 2021 | Academics, Climate Solutions, Food & Dining, Social Justice, Transportation, Waste, Water, Wellbeing | Guides | Use this virtual guide to explore opportunities to get involved with sustainability at Emory, then pursue those which most interest you. Take part in our campus culture of sustainability by participating in an OSI program, joining a sustainability-related student organization, and/or exploring Emory's academic offerings in the disciplines of the environment and sustainability! |
| Sustainability Courses_2016 to 2019 | Academics | Documents & Reports | |
| Sustainability Guide for Graduate and Professional Students 2021 | Climate Solutions, Food & Dining, Social Justice, Transportation, Waste | Guides | This sustainability guide provides graduate and professional students with pertinent information about Emory's sustainability goals and programs related to waste, food & dining, and transportation, as well as how to get involved with sustainable initiatives on campus. |
| Sustainability Guide for Oxford Students 2021 | Academics, Climate Solutions, Food & Dining, Social Justice, Transportation, Waste | Guides | This sustainability guide provides Oxford students with pertinent information about Emory's sustainability goals and programs related to waste, food & dining, and transportation, as well as how to get involved with sustainable initiatives on campus. |
| Sustainability Guide for Undergraduate Students 2021 | Academics, Climate Solutions, Food & Dining, Social Justice, Transportation, Waste, Water | Guides | This sustainability guide provides undergraduate students with pertinent information about Emory's sustainability goals and programs related to waste, food & dining, academics, and transportation, as well as how to get involved with sustainable initiatives on campus. |
| Sustainability Minor at Emory University Brochure | All Initiatives | Documents & Reports | The prevailing theoretical model of sustainability defines it as the intersection of the social, the environmental, and the economic. Sustainability thus implies a radical interdisciplinary of the kind generally hailed as the academic model of the future. |
| Zero Waste Ambassadors Charge Fall 2021- Spring 2022 | Waste | Documents & Reports | The ZWAs are a group of student, faculty, and staff volunteers, who are actively willing to champion waste management and reduction in all areas of the Emory experience. They strive to promote a culture at Emory that prioritizes reducing and diverting waste in all decisions that we make as individuals and as a community. You can read more about specific goals of the program this year in the charge. |