What Notre Dame Is Doing

The University of Notre Dame has long incorporated energy conservation and environmental stewardship into its annual goals. Growing concern for the environment, continued growth of campus, changes in the environmental regulatory climate, and volatile energy prices have brought a renewed focus on reducing the University’s energy and environmental impact.

Over the years, the University has implemented a number of conservation initiatives designed to improve operating efficiency while minimizing energy utilization and environmental impact across campus. For details on these initiatives and others in process, please dowload the progress update presented as part of the Green Summit Update.

In late January, over 150 faculty, staff, and students came together to participate in the Green Summit II, a series of open discussions focusing on energy and the environment. Topics discussed by the group included recycling, green building design, community action and outreach, energy conservation, climate change, course development, and confronting our consumer culture. The summit provided an opportunity for idea sharing and brainstorming by active members of the campus community.

The Office of Sustainability was established as of the first of this year and the hiring of a director is in process. This position will build institutional learning capacities to support continuous improvement in building design and operations, landscaping, procurement, energy and water conservation, waste disposal and recycling, and service provision.

The University has generously created a $2 million Green Loan Fund to provide capital for environmental improvements in both campus buildings and operations, illustrating a long-term commitment to sustainability efforts.