Start your day with sustainability! The Sustainability Coffee Chats series was created to engage the University community in discussions around sustainability & climate action to increase awareness and encourage collaboration across campus departments and groups. University and community experts will present on a broad range of topics. The intention of this series is to create and foster an ongoing dialogue on a number of sustainability related topics among staff, faculty and students across campus. Grab a coffee or tea and tune in!
Coffee Chats are free and open to the public! They take place online via Zoom unless otherwise noted. Register below.
Watch past Coffee Chats recordings

Upcoming Coffee Chats:

Check back this summer for fall semester Coffee Chats!

Past Coffee Chats:

Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 9 to 10 a.m.

NEW On-Campus Solar

Coming soon to campus: 4 more megawatts of solar electricity! Tripling our current capacity, this will power the equivalent of more than 500 average MN homes. This work advances the Climate Action Plan’s Energy Supply section, including the on-campus solar catalytic project to grow renewable energy on campus and Energy Supply Goal 1 to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions 60% by 2033. This session with UMN energy experts will explore what’s ahead for energy and the future of solar at the University.

Recording coming soon

Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 9:30 to 11 a.m.

NEW UMN Zero Waste Plan (IN PERSON!)

Be among the first to hear about the University’s new Zero Waste Plan—which aims to reduce more than 90% of campus trash by recovering, composting, or recycling materials instead of sending them to disposal—and what it means for our campus community. Join us for coffee, pastries, and conversation at our first ever in-person Coffee Chat with Waste Recovery Services staff.

Location: RecWell Multipurpose Room 7 (123 Harvard Street SE, Minneapolis)

Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Flipping into the Future - NEW Gymnastics Performance Facility

Gopher Gymnastics has a new home — built for the future! The NEW Gymnastics Performance Center combines sustainability, innovation, and style to really stick the landing and to support student-athlete performance and well-being. Lauren Pearl (UMN Women’s Gymnast) and Mya Hooten (UMN Women’s Gymnastics Assistant Coach) share what it’s like to train in a facility created with both athletes and the environment in mind. You’ll also hear from Jeff Seifriz (Gopher Athletics’ Senior Associate Assistant Director for Facilities & Event Operations) about how thoughtful design choices create a high-performing training environment while contributing to a more sustainable campus. Together, these perspectives highlight a commitment to student success, innovation, and responsible resource use.

Watch recording

Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 9 to 10 a.m.

Net Zero Buildings

Hear from UMN Director for the Center of Sustainable Building Design, Richard Graves and Robert Ed from Darcy Solutions to learn more about the design and construction of Net Zero Buildings. We will highlight one of our newest campus buildings, the new Collections Facility - featuring rooftop solar and heating by a sustainable geothermal system known as a Darcy Well.

Watch recording

Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 9 to 10 a.m.

Biking 101

Hear from speakers from BikeMN, Slow Roll Twin Cities, and the UMN Transportation Program all about biking here in the Twin Cities! Slow Roll Twin Cities aims to challenge negative perceptions of the city and foster economic revival. BikeMN (The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota) engages people, provides education, and advocates for biking and walking.

Watch recording

Thursday, April 3, 2025, 10 to 11 a.m.

Sustainability & Art - Bird Strike Mitigation

This session will explore a new art installation that aims to prevent bird strikes on campus! Each year, one billion birds in the US die when they collide with glass windows and doors. These collisions occur because birds have trouble perceiving glass as a solid object and often fly into it when habitat or sky is either reflected or is visible through glass on the other side. Join us to explore creative potential solutions to decreasing bird strikes on campus. Learn more about our bird safety initiatives on campus.

Watch recording

Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 10 to 11 a.m.

Local Climate Action

This session will look at local climate action from a variety of perspectives. Join speakers from the City of Minneapolis and two local climate organizations to learn more about how our Twin Cities community is mitigating climate impacts and creating a more resilient future.

Watch recording

Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 10 to 11 a.m.

Transit 101

Join UMN Parking and Transportation staff for a high-level review of campus and public transit options. We will review campus transit routing/schedule, the Employee and Universal Transit Pass programs; and demo the transit trip planning tools.

Watch recording

Friday, January 24, 2025, 10 to 11 a.m.

Eco & Climate Anxiety

Join two local University of Minnesota experts to discuss eco and climate anxiety and their impacts on our health and wellbeing. Hear from Speakers Molly Sturges: Healing-centered composer, integrative health practitioner, artistic director, activist, & Senior Researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Medical School and faculty at the Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing and Angela Gupta: Extension Educator, Forestry Regional Office Rochester.

Watch recording

Thursday, November 7, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.

Food Security on Campus

This session will look at the issue of food insecurity and its impact on local communities. Dinkytown has often been described by UMN students and other locals as a food desert. We will take a look at campus food security issues and their impacts on our student population.

Watch recording

Friday, October 18, 2024, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Climate Impacts on Minnesota Agriculture

This discussion will take a look at Minnesota's changing climate and how these changes are impacting local agriculture. We will hear from a panel of experts coming from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives including two local Minnesota farmers. We will also touch on the role of artificial intelligence and how AI intersects with climate-smart agriculture.

Watch recording

Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.

Solar for Home and Business Owners

Join three local solar professionals to learn more about the solar industry in Minnesota and the role solar energy plays in greening the grid. This session will provide diverse perspectives on topics including financial incentives, a just transition to renewable energy, and practical guidance for anyone considering solar power for their residence or business.

Watch recording

Friday, September 27, 2024, 10 to 11 a.m.

Ice Cores & Climate Change

Hear from renowned Climate Scientist, Dr Peter Neff, and PhD candidate in the Neff Lab, Julia Andreasen. This discussion will dive into the fascinating world of glaciology and ice core research to better understand our changing climate. Dr Neff is also the Director of Field Research and Data for the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX), a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center that seeks to find the oldest possible ice core records of past climate preserved in Antarctica. Peter shares widely about ice core climate science via Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

Watch recording

Monday, April 22, 2024, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Climate Resilience & the Campus Community

Climate change is here. While mitigating emissions is vital we must also adapt for changes that are already happening and may worsen over time. Planning for current and future risks of climate change aims to safeguard human life; manage stressors on our campus community and natural and built environments; and proactively introduce new designs and systems to adapt. Co-creating a healthy, safe, and equitably-resourced future for all in the face of disproportionate hazards of climate change is a vital piece of this work.This one hour virtual event will discuss the impacts of climate change on our environment from a variety of perspectives from our UMN community.

Watch recording

Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 9 to 10 a.m.

Climate Resilience & the Environment

Climate change is here. While mitigating emissions is vital we must also adapt for changes that are already happening and may worsen over time. Planning for current and future risks of climate change aims to safeguard human life; manage stressors on our campus community and natural and built environments; and proactively introduce new designs and systems to adapt. The stewardship of the University's natural and built environments to enhance climate adaptation and safeguard human health is a vital piece of this work. This one hour virtual event will discuss the impacts of climate change on our environment from a variety of perspectives from our UMN community.

Watch recording

Thursday, April 4, 2024, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Climate Resilience & Infrastructure

Climate change is here. While mitigating emissions is vital we must also adapt for changes that are already happening and may worsen over time. Planning for current and future risks of climate change aims to safeguard human life; manage stressors on our campus community and natural and built environments; and proactively introduce new designs and systems to adapt. Evolving infrastructure to ensure equitable and reliable operations under climate change is a key piece of this work. This one hour virtual event will discuss the impacts of climate change on infrastructure from a variety of perspectives from five UMN faculty.

Watch recording

Friday, December 1st, 2023, 9-10am

Energy Efficiency 101

Aaron Backs joined the Great Plains Institute in 2023 as a program associate supporting the Metro Clean Energy Resource Team (Metro CERT). In this role, he helps coordinate the 11-county Metro CERT region, with a programming emphasis on energy efficiency and solar for underserved communities. Prior to joining GPI as a staff member, Aaron served at GPI for one year as an AmeriCorps Sustainability Project Coordinator through Ampact’s Climate Impact Corps. During his service, he supported Metro CERT initiatives related to solar & underserved businesses, and organized energy efficiency blitz events for manufactured home parks. Aaron graduated from Macalester College with a BA in environmental studies and an emphasis in political science.

Friday, November 3rd, 2023, 10-11am

Electric Vehicles 101

Join our speakers from Drive Electric MN to talk about the benefits of EVs, the current market, and climate impacts.

Alejandro Nakpil joined the Great Plains Institute in 2023 as an electric mobility program associate. In this role, he supports initiatives that improve, expand, and educate on electrified transportation systems (e.g., electric bikes and scooters, electric transit buses, electric vehicles, etc.). He also provides support to GPI-led electric vehicle stakeholder groups, including Drive Electric Minnesota and the Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative. Prior to joining GPI as a staff member, Alejandro served as a sustainability project coordinator on the Communities team through the Climate Impact Corps program. During his time there, he implemented several electric mobility projects, including the formulation and launch of the EV Smart Program, the creation of an electric vehicle ordinance database for municipalities, and the hosting of ride-and-drive events for a variety of organizations. Alejandro holds a BA in sustainable systems management from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as well as certifications in project management and behavior-centered design.

Moaz joined the Great Plains Institute in 2021 and serves as the electric vehicle policy specialist for the Transportation and Fuels program. Moaz supports the transportation electrification work by assisting with evidence-based policy making and adding planning, technical and research support to a variety of projects and programs. He also helps plan and facilitate GPI’s electric vehicle stakeholder groups like the Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative and Drive Electric Minnesota. Prior to joining GPI, Moaz served as a public policy fellow at the International Council on Clean Transportation, where he worked on a myriad of projects ranging from electric vehicle emissions and cost of ownership modeling to developing transportation policy recommendations for the US presidential candidates. Moaz completed a master of global affairs with a specialization in sustainable development from the Keough School of Public Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, and a BS in economics from the National University of Sciences & Technology.

Friday, May 19th, 2023, 10-11am

Sustainability and Supplier Diversity: 3 Small Business Origin Stories

On the heels of Earth Month, the Office of Sustainability is teaming up with the Office for Supplier Diversity to spotlight diverse businesses that emphasize sustainability or environmentally friendly products/services. Hear from three business owners- how they started, how it's going, and all the bumps along the road!

Friday, April 7th, 2023, 10-11am

Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Justice

A discussion on Indigenous knowledge, environmental justice issues, and the intersections of climate change, sustainability and Indigenous (specifically on American Indian and Native Pacific Islander) struggles, with Gabriela Ines Diaz (CHamoru and Pohnpeian).

Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, 9-10am

Climate Change Resilience and Water Resources

A discussion on climate change, resilience, and water resources with a local lens analyzing the Mississippi River. Areas of discussion will include climate change and the intersection with water resources, specifically the Mississippi River and the resilience of local communities, and looking at indicators.

Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, 9-10am

Climate Change Resilience and Water Resources

Friday, April 29th, 2022, 10-11am

Communicating about Climate Change

A discussion on strategies to effectively talk about climate issues with your friends, family, and colleagues. Suzi Clark will discuss the importance of talking about climate change, why so many of us are hesitant to talk about it and how to have meaningful conversations.

Questions? Contact Carley Rice, Sustainability Coordinator at [email protected]

Sustainability Coffee Chats

Upcoming Coffee Chats:

Past Coffee Chats:

Office of Sustainability at Twin Cities

Campus partners