About The Office of Sustainability

What We Do

The Office of Sustainability (OOS) serves as a resource, a catalyst, and an advocate for environmental sustainability at Tufts, often serving as the bridge between ideas and their practical implementation.

Tufts plays a crucial role in helping the world adapt to a changing planet while tackling such challenging issues as climate change, resource depletion, and environmental injustice. Our goal is to be leaders in the responsible stewardship of the physical environment and our society by cultivating knowledge in our students and faculty of sustainable issues and solutions across disciplines.

From campus operations to the classroom, sustainability at Tufts is a collective effort spanning departments, offices, and all of our campuses in Boston, Grafton, and Medford/Somerville.

The OOS is supported by the university and works to:

• Ensure that Tufts’ efforts are comprehensive and focused on meaningful projects
• Identify, evaluate, and implement opportunities for leadership
• Promote the strength of Tufts sustainability efforts, including those of faculty and students.
• Measure and report on Tufts’ progress toward commitments and regional goals
• Identify sustainability opportunities that may provide Tufts with additional benefits such as educational opportunities, reduced risk, financial savings, and avoided problems/fines.
• Coordinate among other existing programs and sustainability efforts (e.g., food, landscaping, transportation, planning and policy, personal action, and education)
• Integrate sustainability issues into research, scholarship and student life.
  • Advise the Sustainability-Themed Housing
  • Provide peer-to-peer training through the Eco-Reps (students) and Eco-Ambassador (faculty and staff) programs
  • Work with interested faculty to develop meaningful class projects and support students in those efforts.
  • Work with interested students on academic and extra-curricular projects
  • Provide student undergraduate and graduate internships
  • Identify appropriate ways for faculty and student research to be pilot tested on campus

The Tufts Recycling and Waste Reduction Team is housed with Facilities Services and works closely with the Office of Sustainability to coordinate waste reduction and diversion, including recycling and composting programs. Please contact recycle@tufts.edu with waste specific inquiries.

Areas of focus:

• Climate Change mitigation and planning
• Resource conservation (water, energy)
• Sustainable transportation and commuting
• Sustainable infrastructure
• Community building and outreach
• Education and advocacy
• Cultivating a culture of sustainability
• Strategic planning with senior administrators
• Decarbonization (in collaboration with the Operations Division)
• Waste reduction education (in collaboration with Facilities Services)

If you are interested in learning more about sustainability at Tufts, please contact the Office of Sustainability to be put in touch with the appropriate department.