This past year was unforgettable for many reasons. The challenges facing all of us certainly impacted UW Sustainability, but I am proud of what we were able to accomplish in 2020 and excited as I look forward to 2021. We are eager to continue the university’s progress on sustainability with new opportunities and goals ahead.
This past year marked the adoption of UW’s new Sustainability Action Plan. Our office coordinated much of the planning behind this document, which was officially launched in July 2020. Starting in the spring of 2019, we set out to expand the lens of sustainability and to put equity and inclusion at the forefront. To make this plan a living, breathing document, stakeholders across the university identified the following guiding principles:
- Ensure Students Achieve Sustainability Literacy
- Choose our Research Conscientiously
- Keeping equity and inclusion at the center
- Utilizing Resources Responsibly
- Decarbonizing
At this time in 2020, we were also planning large events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and look at a broader future for sustainability. After the COVID-19 measures required us to scrap our original plans, our team scrambled to organize a virtual Earth Day with many opportunities for people to connect online.
These included acknowledging the many communities whose voices may have been overlooked in conversations about sustainability, and finding ways to center environmental and social justice. As part of this effort, UW Sustainability has partnered with the College of the Environment’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion office to organize a series of events exploring the intersection of sustainability and equity, with space for open discussions.
I know there are many lessons to be learned from our responses to the challenges of 2020. We are a resilient community at the University of Washington, and I am ready to continue working for sustainability in 2021 and beyond.
The Sustainability Action Plan is about transformational initiatives that include everyone on all of our campuses. I’m hopeful this effort will further our progress for a just and sustainable UW.