Sustainability Council Goals 2.0

This goal aims to support an integrated network of interdisciplinary, sustainability researchers and scholarship that helps inform campus sustainability-related decision making and contributes to the State of Maryland's biodiversity and conservation goals. 

• Foster connectivity and coordination between sustainability researchers, scholars, students and staff across campus to advance these goals
• Create an online searchable list of sustainability research going on across campus and the researchers to contact
• Facilitate translation of UMD sustainability research and scholarship to support campus operations and environmental stewardship, and surrounding community sustainability initiatives
• Leverage the outputs and outcomes of major sustainability-related UMD research Centers, Institutes and Programs to drive measurable positive change on campus and in our surrounding communities
• Help students connect with sustainability researchers and scholars across campus

This goal aims to help the UMD community identify, further understand, and collaborate to manage environmental and social impacts of UMD’s technology and innovation ecosystems.

• Work to better define the environmental, social, economic and cultural impacts of UMD's research operations, both positive and negative
• Emphasize the development and deployment of innovative technologies to address sustainability challenges associated with research operations
• Devise strategies to build in positive environmental, social, economic and cultural choices in the ways that research is designed and conducted at UMD
• Strengthen participation in the SustainableUMD network  from faculty, staff and students working in laboratories and other research facilities
• Foster faculty, staff and student education, outreach and discussion relating to climate change impacts, global biodiversity loss, native habitat declines, and ecological and carbon footprints associated with the use of new technologies
• Support environmental stewardship and social responsibility in decision making about generative AI use for research designs and operations

This goal prioritizes connection and reciprocity in sustainability work with Maryland Communities, especially in Prince George’s County.

• Empower students, faculty and staff to embrace and commit to   community-engaged teaching, research, or service in support of local, community-led sustainability transitions outside of UMD
• Encourage campus units to prioritize cost-effective ‘Do Good’ initiatives that support high-impact progress on local, regional, state and global sustainability goals
• Continue to seek interdisciplinary opportunities for partnership with Prince George’s County community groups and local governments to explore mutually beneficial sustainability projects and initiatives
• Recognize faculty and staff for community-engaged teaching, research, or service (through community boards and task forces) that addresses sustainability-related community needs
   

This goal aims to advance a resilient, equitable, and sustainable campus food system that increases access to nutritious food, strengthens regional partnerships, and reduces environmental impact.
 

• Strengthen the campus community’s understanding and comfort with nutritious, sustainable, and ecologically beneficial food choices 
• Increase equitable access to nutritious, sustainably sourced food by strengthening and coordinating services across campus dining operations, the Campus Pantry, the Thrive Center for Essential Needs, and additional university partners involved in food access and support
• Increase awareness and utilization of existing resources for accessing food and other essential items through targeted outreach strategies
• Develop reciprocal relationships with certified Maryland farms, including some who are new to farming, underrepresented in agriculture, and/or utilizing regenerative agriculture practices beyond what is required by law (like rotational grazing, biochar, and application of composted manure)
• Implement creative food procurement strategies that symbiotically support both local sourcing and ecological resilience
• Improve the quality of post-consumer collected compostable materials to maximize food waste diversion
   

This goal supports faculty, students and staff in implementing and engaging in project-based learning and other types of learning experiences with problem solving and innovation to solve sustainability challenges.

• Create interactive opportunities – including peer-to-peer, in-person and digital – for Terps to gain critical thinking, systems thinking, collaboration, and eco-literacy skills
• Provide tools to help students, faculty and staff utilize the physical campus landscape, buildings and infrastructure for sustainability learning and teaching
• Recognize and reward sustainability mentoring by faculty, staff and students. Mentoring includes forming individual relationships, leadership opportunities and/ or communities of practice at UMD that focus on increasing participation in these university sustainability goals
• Expand professional development opportunities offered on campus to support faculty and staff in understanding, communicating and teaching about current sustainability concepts and practices
• Develop and communicate student pathways to complete General Education requirements while at the same time deepening sustainability literacy and skills

This goal aims to position the university as a living model of sustainable urban systems and exemplify model leadership on the State’s regulatory targets and sustainability goals.

• Showcase and encourage sustainable growth by adopting policies related to:
  • Infrastructure as a critical enabler of the University Strategic Plan, including support for predictive and preventative maintenance
  • High- performance, energy-efficient green buildings as guided by the Maryland High Performance Green Building Program for new construction and major renovations
  • Energy and water consumption improvements during major campus renovations and upgrades
  • Heat recovery from released exhaust, particularly in laboratories
  • Carbon cycle management through accounting for emissions, removals, and offsets
  • Biodiverse landscapes with strategically protected natural areas
  • Watershed protection structures and practices
  • Transportation options and incentives that reduce car dependence, single-occupancy vehicle trips and emissions among UMD community
  • Micromobility and pedestrian infrastructure with safe and reliable off-campus connectivity
  • Progress toward zero waste and circularity through responsible production, consumption and waste management
• Where feasible, incorporate clean energy technologies and other sustainability innovations developed at UMD into campus operations and education
• Implement and regularly (every 3-5 years) revise UMD’s Climate Action Plan to achieve long-term targets for net-zero Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions
• Prioritize direct carbon emissions reduction and phase out purchasing of verified carbon reduction credits by 2035, limiting the use of carbon offsetting to residual emissions only with durable, verified removal credits and/or additional sequestration and removals on campus-owned or sponsored lands
• Proactively strive to comply with Maryland’s climate change regulations, including the Maryland Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)
  
   

This goal aims to cultivate opportunities for people to identify with and relate to the ecology, culture, bioregional aspects, history and local ecological knowledge that contribute to a sense of place that is Maryland.

• Curate spaces and tools to support exploration of and reflection on the unique aspects of our region’s ecology and history of human-environment interactions
• Recognize and celebrate stories of African-American and Native American led environmental stewardship and ecological knowledge in Maryland
• Honor the history and culture of the Piscataway people on UMD's campus by highlighting  aspects related to sustainability
• Engage students, staff, and faculty in learning about unique aspects of Indigenous and African-American ways of knowing Maryland’s ecology and foodways
• Experiment with incorporating indigenous science and technology (sometimes called traditional ecological knowledge) into campus operations and experiences
• Use art and experiential learning to build community, strengthen place-based connections, and honor ecological and cultural narratives of the region’s inhabitants