Green Offices at Emory

Encouraging sustainable work spaces

Green Offices Highlights

Emory’s sustainability goals rely on the commitment of its thousands of employees to choose sustainable behaviors while at work and getting around campus. Green Offices at Emory is a voluntary program designed to assist employees in improving the sustainability of Emory’s workspaces.

The program focuses on energy and water efficiency and conservation, recycling and waste reduction, procurement, sustainable events, a safe and healthy work environment, and creating a culture of office sustainability.

Green Offices at Emory launched campus-wide in 2016 and advances Emory toward key sustainability goals including eliminating bottled water from events by 2025, exclusive use of zero landfill waste caterers, and reducing the total university campus energy use by 25 percent.

Green Offices Benefits

  • Michael C. Carlos Museum implemented motion-detected sensors for overhead lights in common staff areas including bathrooms, conference rooms, and kitchens.
  • The Department of German Studies decorated the office and produced their own herbal teas by planting lemon balm, lavender, and hibiscus plants.
  • Robert W. Woodruff Library changed their tote bags offered to library patrons from made of polypropylene to those made of cotton.
  • Rose Library purchased glasses and replaced trash cans to reduce the landfill waste as well as promote OSI’s sustainable event certification.
  • Advancement & Alumni Engagement installed a hydration station in their office space to set the expectation and facilitate the habit of using reusable water bottles among building occupants.
  • Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts started a new paperless ticketing system to reduce waste.

How It Works

Step 1: Learn what sustainable actions your office can adopt, and tell us what you’re already doing, by filling out the Green Offices at Emory Checklist on Microsoft Forms and consulting both the companion Green Offices at Emory Guidance Document and the Checklist Word Document.

Step 2: Earn Recognition for taking action to make more sustainable choices in your office. The Green Offices at Emory Team will review your checklist and award your office with a certification level. Certified offices receive recognition and visible office signage to display.

Step 3: Apply for funding to implement the actions on your checklist and new innovations by submitting a Green Office Incentives Fund Application. The 2023-2024 Incentives Fund applications are CLOSED, and next year’s application will be available in May 2024.

Learn more about ways to receive funding through OSI.

56

Sustainable Events, Green Offices, and Green Labs certified in 2022

$5,000

awarded in FY 2022 for Green Office small grants