Sustainability

Our Work

The Office of Sustainability is constantly working towards creating a more sustainable, ethical, and equitable future for Colorado College. Our work varies from on-campus collaboration with students and offices to off-campus initiatives with local partners, making Colorado College a model for sustainability. Sustainability is one of the three pillars of Colorado College, while the other pillars are Antiracism and Mental Health. The office focuses our work on sustainability but uses all three pillars as a lens for our operations.

Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been developed through decades of negotiations and input from over 190 countries and set forth the primary focuses if we are to thrive - that is, if we are to get to a place where we're broadly meeting needs in a way that can continue into the future. These SDGs have outlined 17 primary areas that lead to a more sustainable world. Some people are surprised to see that, while these include environmental goals, they include far more goals pertaining to equity: income equality; equitable access to food; gender equality; racial equality; access to healthcare, and more.
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Colorado College's Goals

The Office of Sustainability has established a new set of office-specific goals and milestones. However, we are working towards creating institutional goals with the reinstated Campus Sustainability Council. Here are a few of the goals that the office will be working on:

  • Reduce Scope 1 emissions by an additional 25% from the 2008 baseline by 2030 through continuing efficiency upgrades in buildings and working to transition the vehicle fleet to electric vehicles and investigating the implementation of an internal carbon tax.                                                                       
  • Reduce Scope 3 emissions by an additional 25% from the 2008 baseline by 2027 through programs such as carbon taxes and voluntary offsets, as well as working to shift the overall transportation culture at CC.                                                                                                                                                   
  • Reduce waste generation on campus by 75% per user from the 2008 baseline through continued education, targeted waste campaigns, and working with campus stakeholders to examine our purchasing guidelines.                                                                                                                                            
  • Increase the waste diversion rate from 48% to 75% by 2030 through the implementation of programs such as electronic waste collection, CC Pantry Exchange, routine audits, and further development of waste infrastructure and education.                                                                                                                   
  • Increase involvement by supporting student groups and working to build relationships with local and state governments.

Pinwheel of Operations

There are five categories to which any of our projects and initiatives can link back: Cultivating Connection & Collaboration, Optimizing Campus Operations, Building Resiliency & Climate Action, Empowering through Education, and Strategic Planning & Prioritizing.

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We optimize campus operations when working with facilities services to map out waste disposal sites on campus. We build resiliency and climate action by advocating for more sustainable energy choices. We empower through education when taking student volunteers on creek cleanups. We participate in the strategic planning and prioritizing of sustainability when speaking to the Board of Trustees about the State of Sustainability at Colorado College. We cultivate connection and collaboration through student engagement and volunteer teams.

Report an issue - Last updated: 04/03/2023