Join us to kick off Earth Week by cleaning up our campus! The Campus Cleanup Crew student group is co-hosting a Mississippi River cleanup with the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Student Association. Meet at the Knoll Park (in front of Peik Hall, 159 Pillsbury Dr SE) at noon. We will start cleaning right away - bags, gloves, and all other supplies will be provided. We will meet back at the park at around 1:15-1:30pm for lunch and to hear more about the U's Stormwater program!
The University of Minnesota has launched a search for its first systemwide Chief Sustainability Officer. This position supports the University's MPact 2025 Systemwide Strategic Plan and is a State-funded MNtersections initiative. This position is responsible for leading the sustainability strategy, planning, programs, and initiatives of the University of Minnesota. Job ID 345142. The search will remain open until filled, but interested applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by January 17, 2022 to be included in the initial candidate review. Learn more
Called by many “the world’s last best chance to get runaway climate change under control,” COP26 is the abbreviation for the 26th annual “Conference of the parties.” Delayed by one year due to the pandemic, the COP26 is the fifth conference held after the Paris Agreement. The Climate Conference in Glasgow (COP26) is the biggest, the most well-attended COP to this date. Read UMN student perspectives and a summary...
A team of volunteers led by Aaron Hanson, a researcher from the Institute on the Environment, spread pollinator-friendly seeds from the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund at West Bank’s solar array. A second crew installed soil moisture monitoring equipment beneath the solar panels. Data will be collected for years to come as part of the Living Lab program. Read more...
The events of the past year have shown the risks of climate change to our planet, which will only continue unless sweeping change is made. It’s more important than ever to take aggressive action to reduce emissions and make our communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change. The University is leading the way through our operations, research, teaching, and work with communities across the state and the world, and we are happy to announce that as of 2020, the Twin Cities campus has reached a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2008. This achievement comes one year ahead of the date for this milestone established in the campus’ 2011 climate action plan. Read more...
A variety of great events are happening on campus for UMN Green Week, November 14-19, hosted by Net Impact!
Three University of Minnesota system campuses (Twin Cities, Morris, and Duluth) are featured in the Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges 2022 Edition!
This Sunday, October 24th, is the Campus Cleanup Crew’s third cleanup of the semester and their first ever river cleanup! Meet at the East River Flats (351 E River Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55455) at 12:00 PM and help clean the Mississippi River bank until around 1:30 PM. There are many reasons to keep the river clean! Learn more about the University of Minnesota's Stormwater program.
After cleaning, meet back at the East River Flats for Canes and a brief presentation from the University of Minnesota Sustainability Coordinator, Carley Rice. Carley will be discussing the sustainability initiatives that the University of Minnesota is partaking in. Bring your friends and don't forget to dress for the weather! Be sure to RSVP. See you on Sunday!
Contact the Campus Cleanup Crew with any questions: [email protected]
The Office of Sustainability is hosting our very first sticker designing contest for Fill it Forward! Design a customized UMN water bottle sticker with our barcode. The winner will receive a prize pack from the UMN Bookstore! DEADLINE EXTENDED: Submissions are now due November 1st at 11:59pm!
Learn more at M Dining's Sustainable Dining Expo event on Wednesday, October 13th from 11am - 1pm in the Great Hall at CMU.
October is Campus Sustainability Month! Get involved.
- Wednesday, October 6: Energy Efficiency Day #EEDay2021
- Wednesday, October 13: M Dining's Sustainable Dining Expo
- Saturday, October 16: World Food Day
- October 18-25: Global Climate Change Week
- October 26-29: The Swain Climate Policy Series, kicking off with Al Gore
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is proud to be a host institution of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2021 virtual Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education (GCSHE), October 12-14, 2021. Register for FREE!