As numerous colleges in recent years have pledged to increase sustainability on campus, Elon University, has worked on implementing and maintaining sustainability efforts since as early as 2004.
Former Elon President Leo Lambert appointed The Environmental Advisory Council, composed of Elon faculty, staff and students who are dedicated to maintaining and promoting sustainability on campus. Lambert said the decision to fill the board with individuals affiliated with the university was purposeful.
“The advisory council is composed of people who have other jobs at the institutions,” Lambert said. “The professors, the students, the staff members are part of this council because they want to be part of the dialogue on campus about shaping environmental policy.”
According to Elon’s website, the Office of Sustainability’s mission is “to advance sustainability at Elon by helping to streamline and improve university operations and developing and fostering educational programs.” This initiative is demonstrated through the educational offerings at Loy Farm, which Lambert said was one of his starting initiatives to promote sustainability.
“The institution was able to acquire Loy Farm, which is out on Front Street next to Magnolia Cemetery,” Lambert said. “We decided to devote a significant amount of land up there for a solar farm and another kind of environmental teaching laboratory out there, as well, so that solar farm produces enough solar energy for hundreds and hundreds of homes each year.”
Following Lambert’s presidency, Elon has continued to expand on its sustainability efforts, recently launching Boldly Elon, a strategic plan ending in 2030 that encourages students to learn, thrive, connect and rise. Boldly Elon was inspired by UNICEF’s Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals that aim to eliminate poverty, implement affordable and clean energy, and embrace global equality.
Elon has continually shown its desire and ability to follow through on its sustainability initiatives, which Lambert said is what has allowed Elon to make such notable progress.
“I think what has allowed the university to make so much progress over the last many decades is that not only do we have a plan, but then we actually do the plan, we execute on the plan,” Lambert said.
In the 2015 Sustainability Master Plan, Elon announced its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2037. Although travel associated with study abroad contribute to 20% of Elon’s greenhouse gas emissions, the Office of Sustainability still believes this goal can be achieved. Elaine Durr, the first full-time sustainability coordinator and now sustainability director, said she believes that the university will eventually reach carbon neutrality.
“We have made progress,” Durr said. “We definitely have more work to do by 2037, but we are on the right track.”
Students also play a large role in maintaining and promoting sustainability. According to Kelly Harer, the assistant director of sustainability for education and outreach, many students are involved and supportive of the sustainability initiative on campus.
“I also run our Eco-Reps program, which are eight students who are peer educators who promote sustainability here on campus via the neighborhoods we have around Elon,” Harer said. “So they work with community directors, resident assistants and other people who are planning events in the neighborhoods.
“I think it’s really important that we get students from every major interested in sustainability because it takes all of us to be sustainable.”
She added that sustainability requires the support of all students, regardless of their major.
Elon is a leading example of a university that has embraced sustainability on campus and in the classroom. The support of this initiative from the faculty, staff and students demonstrates why sustainability is important not just on Elon’s campus but on a global scale.
“Because I think about our future,” Durr said, “we all need to work together in harmony.”
Olivia Ruiz was born and raised in New York City and is a student at The Beacon School. She has a strong passion for writing and social justice and has explored both interests throughout high school as a staff writer for her school’s newspaper and council member of the Young Women’s Advisory Council. Olivia also is a member of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, where she conducts community outreach projects within her neighborhood. In college, Olivia plans to major in English literature or sociology.
Keely Garcia was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and attends R.L. Paschal High School, where she is a member of the top orchestra and a reporter for the school newspaper. In just two years as a reporter, Keely discovered her passion for writing and was recently named senior editor for the 2022-2023 academic year. Although Keely does not plan to pursue a career in the military, she enjoys volunteering with her school’s junior ROTC program and currently serves as battalion executive officer. After high school, Keely plans to pursue a degree in journalism and communications.
Toromo Funsho
Toromo Funsho was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and now lives in Arlington, Virginia. A student at Washington Liberty High School, Toromo participates in various activities, including the UNICEF club, where she serves as secretary. She enjoys broadcast journalism class, which allows her to write scripts for interviews, conduct interviews, and edit and record school announcements. She plans to continue broadcast journalism next year to grow her production experience, which aligns with her career aspirations. Toromo also has an interest in psychology.