Under the leadership of President Robert H. Bruininks, the University of Minnesota has seen increasing commitment to sustainability. Reaching into all areas of campus activity, from teaching and research to waste management, building design, and purchasing decisions, the University is taking bold strides toward creating a sustainable campus.
Among the President’s commitments to building a sustainable University:
- Funding for the Presidential Initiative on Environment and Renewable Energy, which will implement recommendations from the Commission on Environmental Science and Policy (2002). These are efforts largely aimed at “tying together” the multitude of environmental and energy related work happening at the University.
- The Initiative on Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) is funded in part by Xcel Energy under a mandate from the legislature. This work includes clusters of scholarly activity around:
- Hydrogen fuel cells;
- Bioenergy and bioproducts;
- Policy, economics and ecosystems; and
- Conservation and efficient energy systems.
- A research and demonstration project aimed at integrating sustainable practices and energy conservation across the full range of University activities. The project will involve applied sustainable resource applications at the University— including renewable energy projects at the Twin Cities, Morris and Duluth campuses.
- The President has directed University Services, led by vice president Kathleen O’Brien, and the Provost’s Office, led by executive associate vice president Alfred D. Sullivan, to provide leadership in proposing a Sustainability Policy to the Board of Regents in June, 2004.
With over 60,000 students, over 3,000 faculty (and an additional 13,500 researchers, instructors, and staff), and over half a billion dollars in research funding, the vast array of the University of Minnesota’s sustainability efforts cannot be fully accounted in this overview document. Instead, we attempt to introduce the scope and depth of sustainability research, environmental teaching, and statewide outreach that will protect our resources and provide a rich environment for the people of Minnesota far into the future.
This publication is an overview of the University of Minnesota’s efforts in sustainability as they relate to our mission (research, teaching, and outreach) and our operations.
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