Welcome to the University of Washington's Sustainability Action Plan process page. This site serves as your central hub for information about the development of our new Sustainability Plan. Here, you'll find updates on the planning process, opportunities for engagement, and ways to contribute your ideas and feedback as we work towards our 2050 sustainability vision.
Learn more about the process to update the plan below:
Why are we updating the Sustainability Action Plan?
As we conclude our current five-year Sustainability Action Plan cycle in the 2024-2025 academic year, we are excited to embark on the development of a new, ambitious plan that will guide us towards our 2050 sustainability vision. This new plan will address the unique needs of our tri-campus community and cover areas not fully captured in the existing plan.
The new Sustainability Action Plan will provide an actionable roadmap for UW's sustainability goals, including:
- Creating a vision for 2050: The University of Washington will engage stakeholders to create a long-term visioning framework for 2050 across three key areas: campus operations; community service and partnerships; and research, academics, and learning. This vision for 2050 will guide the development of specific five-year goals, strategies, and actions in the new Plan.
- Identifying needed resources and funding: Ensuring we understand what is needed to meet the sustainability goals outlined in the Sustainability Action Plan.
- Driven by data: The new Sustainability Action Plan will reflect the latest climate and sustainability science, as well as UW-specific data, to inform ambitious goals, strategies and actions.
- Alignment with state and local legislation: We will look at state and local policy, as well as frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) to inform the Sustainability Action Plan.
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Communication: The new Sustainability Action Plan will incorporate storytelling elements to reflect the university community and inspire collective action towards sustainability goals.
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Bolstering current efforts: The new Plan will reinforce the University of Washington's current efforts by highlighting existing projects and establishing goals that help them grow.
How to engage
The development of the new SAP will be a collaborative effort involving faculty, staff, students, subject matter experts, and the broader UW community. Our engagement process will include a variety of activities, such as town halls, working groups, and focus groups to gather diverse input and create a shared vision for sustainability at UW.
Anticipated timeline
The Sustainability Action Plan update process will begin in Fall quarter 2024, with opportunities for stakeholders and other members of the UW community to help us create the 2050 vision for sustainability at the UW. The work to develop goals, strategies and actions as part of a draft plan is expected to go through July 2025, with the language being refined and revised during Fall 2025. We expect to publish the updated Sustainability Action Plan in early 2026.
Throughout the process there will be opportunities for community engagement and feedback. We are in the initial stages of planning our engagement activities. Some of the opportunities we are considering include:
- Town Halls
- Presentations and panels to discuss the current state of the Plan, goal achievements and future steps.
- Workshops and breakout sessions to gather input and feedback from the community.
- Wrap ups to present drafts and gather final thoughts.
- Working groups
- Working groups will be dedicated to specific areas of the Plan and will be responsible for developing goals, strategies and actions.
- Road show
- Focused discussion with UW community members will provide input about priorities and scope for the Plan. The feedback will be shared with working groups to inform the development process.
How to participate?
As we finalize the events and opportunities to participate in the Sustainability Action Plan process, they will be shared here.
Join the conversation
We invite you to be part of this important process. Your input is crucial in shaping a sustainable future for the University of Washington. Email sustainabilityplan@uw.edu to learn more about the listed opportunities or with other questions.