Sustainability at Ohio State
Energy partnership to support Ohio State’s sustainability and academic mission
On April 7, 2017, the Ohio State Board of Trustees approved a public-private partnership to become an international leader in sustainability and provide new resources to advance teaching, learning and research. The Comprehensive Energy Management Project promises to modernize the university’s 485-building Columbus campus, create substantial academic benefits and establish a major center for energy research and technology commercialization.
The total value of $1.165 billion includes a $1.015 billion upfront payment to the university and a $150 million commitment to support academics in specific areas requested by students, faculty and staff during the bidding process. This would be the largest single investment in Ohio State’s academic mission.
ENGIE North America and Axium Infrastructure (ENGIE-Axium) are world leaders in energy services and sustainability. The two companies formed a new consortium to combine their expertise for this project and provided the strongest proposal. Detailed reviews and scoring of the finalists were conducted by groups composed of students, faculty and staff from the university. Read more.
Ohio State Again Receives National Recognition for Tree Program
For the sixth year in a row, The Ohio State University is proud to earn a Tree Campus USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation. Ohio State has received the distinction each year since it first applied in 2011. This honor highlights the university’s commitment to creating and maintaining a healthy tree population on the Columbus campus.
To obtain the Tree Campus USA recognition, Ohio State had to meet five core standards for sustainable campus forestry including having a tree advisory committee, maintaining a tree-care plan, observing Arbor Day, sponsoring student learning projects and having dedicated funds that support a campus tree program.
February 16, 2017
Ohio State Sustainability Fund Available for Campus Projects
Oct. 5, 2016--The Ohio State University is committed to developing durable solutions to the challenges of sustainability and in evolving a culture of sustainability through collaborative teaching, pioneering research, comprehensive outreach, and innovative operations, practices, and policies.
To support this commitment, the Ohio State Sustainability Fund is available to faculty and staff members to provide funding for sustainability projects that will positively impact any Ohio State campus. Sustainability Fund projects must promote sustainability by advancing current programs, creating campus cultural change, and/or directing sustainable campus policy or project development. Projects that create sustainability awareness, encourage behavioral changes, and promote outreach to the campus community and beyond are also desirable.
Projects eligible for Sustainability Fund awards must be led by a faculty or staff member and must contribute to sustainability; provide campus impact; not be covered by an existing university operating budget; and be used to seed, catalyze, or gap-fill funding on projects, rather than be the sole funding source.
Details and application forms are found on the President and Provost’s Council on Sustainability webpage, under “Involvement.” To apply for funding, complete the Sustainability Fund Application and send it to energy.environment@osu.edu.
Earth Day and Every Day, Buckeyes Act Sustainably
On Earth Day and every day, the Ohio State community is dedicated to promoting and practicing sustainability across campus and beyond.
In addition, we're proud of our university sustainability goals, designed to develop solutions to the challenges of sustainability and in evolving a culture of sustainability through collaborative teaching, pioneering research, comprehensive outreach, and innovative operations, practices and policies. These goals are currently featured on banners across campus, on signs in campus buses, and on social media.
Teams of faculty, staff and students developed the goals to help make Ohio State a global model of sustainable operations and practices. Among the goals are plans to:
- Ensure that Ohio State has a carbon-neutral impact on the environment
- Create knowledge to solve real-world sustainability problems
- Expand learning opportunities for our students
- Double our tree canopy on campus
Learn more about Ohio State's sustainability goals and the goals development process below.
University Sustainability Goals Project
Ohio State is a recognized leader in developing durable solutions to the pressing challenges of sustainability and in evolving a culture of sustainability through collaborative teaching, pioneering research, comprehensive outreach, and innovative operations, practices, and policies. The university has developed strategic sustainability goals to support Ohio State's core of teaching and learning, research and innovation, outreach and engagement, and resource stewardship.
Sustainability Goals (pdf)
Project Background
In March 2015, Provost Joseph E. Steinmetz charged the President and Provost’s Council on Sustainability to develop strategic sustainability goals to move Ohio State towards becoming a global model of sustainable operations and practices.
Between March and August, work groups made up of PPCS members as well as a diverse group of faculty, students and staff members, and with university community input, worked together to recommend sustainability goals in all four of the university’s overarching core goals:
- teaching and learning
- research and innovation
- outreach and engagement
- resource stewardship
The proposed Sustainability Goals were submitted to Provost Steinmetz in September, and were presented to various leadership and academic committees across campus in October. In November, the goals were accepted by the Provost, establishing a concrete set of goals from which the university will use going forward.
#greenOSU
University Sustainability Goals (pdf)
Sustainability in Action Interactive Map
Sustainability news
Ohio State chosen to lead U.S. transportation solutions over next three decades
2016-2017 Energy, Environment and Sustainability Student Funding Announced
Ohio State MBA Students Test Sustainable Business Model in Tanzania
Progress Continues on Ohio State Sustainability Goals
The Other Football Competition: Zero Waste at Ohio Stadium
Panel responds to 40 percent local and sustainable challenge for campus food system
Department of Energy Funding to Accelerate Vehicle Efficiency, Optimization Research
Sustainability at Ohio State
Leadership
- Energy Services and Sustainability
- Office of Energy and Environment
- One Ohio State Framework
- President and Provost's Council on Sustainability
- Ohio State Food Sustainability Panel
On Campus
Research
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center
- Carbon Management and Sequestration Center
- Center for Applied Plant Sciences
- Center for Automotive Research
- Center for Resilience
- Center for Urban and Regional Analysis
- Clean Energy
- Coal Combustion Products
- Discovery Themes
- Environmental Sciences Network
- Glenn College of Public Affairs
- Institute for Materials Research
- Office of Energy and Environment
- Office of Research
- Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
- Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center
- Ohio Sea Grant College Program
- Ohio Water Resources Center
- Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization Center
- School of Environment & Natural Resources
- School of Earth Sciences
- Stone Laboratory at Lake Erie
- Subsurface Energy Resource Center
- Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory
- Wetlands Research Park
Students
- Clean Community
- Green Buckeyes
- Recycling Off Campus
- Ride Sharing and Car-Pooling
- SUSTAINS Learning Community
- Travel and Research Funding
- USG Sustainability Committee
- Academic Programs
- Architecture
- City and Regional Planning
- Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability Major
- Enterprise Sustainability
- Environmental Engineering
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Science Graduate Program
- Human Dimensions of Environment
- Landscape Architecture
- Natural Resource Management
- School of Environment and Natural Resources
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Sustainable Plant Systems
The Ohio State University named Big Ten Diversion Rate Champion
Progress Continues on Ohio State Sustainability Goals
In November 2015, The Ohio State University announced university-wide sustainability goals to guide the university as it develops durable solutions to the challenges of sustainability and in evolving a culture of sustainability. The goals, developed by students, faculty and staff, were designed to impact all aspects of the university mission: collaborative teaching, pioneering research, comprehensive outreach, and innovative operations, practices, and policies.
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of our sustainability goals, students, faculty and staff – as well as the Central Ohio community – are seeing the payoff.
Efforts over the past 12 months have resulted in a wide-range of progress toward developing global citizens with knowledge of energy, environment and sustainability issues; creating discoveries to enhance sustainability research; conserving energy; reducing waste; protecting the environment; and obtaining food from local and sustainable sources.
See our list of recent sustainability successes here.
Food Sustainability Panel Submits Local and Sustainable Food Report
Ohio State's Food Sustainability Panel was created to develop a strategic plan for our dining halls and other places on campus that serve food as the university seeks to move toward our goal of 40% local and sustainably sourced food by 2025. The panel’s role is to propose action items and guidelines as appropriate as the university works to achieve the sustainable food goal.
Read the September 2016 Local and Sustainable Food by 2025 Report
Have an idea? Question?
Let us know at: localfood@osu.edu
Prince of Monaco visit highlights Ohio State's sustainability successes
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco came to Ohio State on August 31, 2016 with a message for students: It's up to you to embrace the alternative energy that he believes will steer the world away from global disaster.
"We are talking about a fundamental change in our habits and our mentalities," the prince told the audience gathered at the Mershon Auditorium. "We are currently at the very beginning of this adventure and it will be up to your generation to lead it to its conclusion." The prince has a global reputation as an steward of the environment: In 2006, he created the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, focused on environmental, climate and sustainability projects and research.
He lauded Ohio State's "green" efforts during his remarks and a roundtable discussion with Ohio State President Michael V. Drake and Provost Bruce McPheron. During the discussion, the leaders touched on the varied ways Ohio State is addressing the societal challenge, from research to programs to ensuring student success in the realm.
Sustainability and stewardship powered by teaching and research.
Ohio State’s Discovery Theme Initiatives programs are advancing sustainability in teaching, research, outreach and engagement, and resource stewardship, by facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration of experts spanning the university. Through the work being conducted in the Food and AgriCultural Transformation, Materials and Manufacturing for Sustainability, and the Sustainable and Resilient Economy programs, Ohio State faculty are leading the way in developing scientific and policy responses to our most critical global challenges.
