Home / Sustainability at Tufts / Institutional Environmental Initiatives / Sustainability Council
As an institution of higher education, Tufts University educates people who develop and manage society’s institutions and thus bears a responsibility to increase the awareness, knowledge, technologies, and tools to create a just and sustainable future for all. The Tufts Sustainability Council, made up of faculty, students, and staff with in-depth experience and expertise in climate change and sustainability, helps Tufts select effective, impactful goals and strategies leading to a sustainable university that serves current and future students and employees equally while supporting the health and wellbeing of all of humanity and our home planet. View the list of Current Council Members or Past Council Members (2012).
In Fall 2021, the third iteration of the Tufts Sustainability Council was tasked with updating the university's overarching sustainability vision and goals.
It strives to:
From Fall 2021 to Spring 2022, the council met monthly to draft a vision, key principles, and high level goals for sustainability at Tufts.
Visual representation of the Campus Sustainability Council's planning process with each meeting building upon the work done in previous sessions.
Next Steps: The council has finalized a first draft of high-level goals and strategies to guide the direction that Tufts takes in fighting the climate crisis and creating a sustainable society. The Office of Sustainability is reaching out to direct stakeholders and responsible parties in Summer 2022 for input on the implementation and refinement of the drafted goals and strategies. We will then expand this process in Fall 2022 to share the draft with the entire Tufts Community and host community working sessions, town halls, and other methods for community members to play a role in making this plan the best that it can be.
In January 2012, President Tony Monaco first convened the Sustainability Council. The group focused on advancing work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, waste, energy and water use. The Council established goals and monitored achievements in these areas via several working groups, and released a report in 2013 to share their findings.
Acknowledging deep concerns about the potential impact of climate change on our institution and community, President Monaco signed the Second Nature Climate Commitment in April 2016, making Tufts one of 93 charter signatories. The commitment requires higher education institutions to set targets, report on progress publicly, and collaborate with their surrounding community, while integrating sustainability across the curriculum.
In February 2017, President Monaco convened a second Council for the Sustainability of Campus Operations to help meet the ambitious demands of this commitment. The council provides leadership and oversight for developing and executing a plan for Tufts to reach carbon neutrality. The council will prescribe strategies to engage the full Tufts community in actions to conserve energy use, and recommend development of capital projects and operational approaches that minimize the use of fossil fuels. These strategies include metering individual buildings, power generation, energy procurement and expanding a revolving greenfund to support these efforts.
Meeting 1: March 6, 2017
Meeting 2: April 26, 2017
Meeting 3: Oct 11, 2017
Meeting 4: Jan 10, 2018
Meeting 5: May 30, 2018
Meeting 6: Oct 12, 2018
Meeting 7: Mar 14, 2019 (report)
~ Change of Leadership ~
Meeting 8: Nov 21, 2019
Spring 2020 meeting cancelled due to COVID-19
Meeting 9: Nov 18, 2020
Meeting 10: Feb 22, 2021
Meeting 11: May 3, 2021 (notes & slides)