Sustainability Coordinators
The Sustainability Coordinators are departmental roles that support the University's Climate and Sustainability Action Plan.
Sustainability Coordinators
The Sustainability Coordinators are departmental roles that support the University's Climate and Sustainability Action Plan.
At a Glance
The Sustainability Coordinators are a collaborative group of campus leaders representing Penn’s Schools and Centers that strive to implement significant operational and behavior changes to support the University’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 4.0 and drive a shift to carbon neutrality.
The Sustainability Coordinators act as a bridge to Penn’s senior leadership through the use of interdisciplinary, data-driven best practices and communicating accomplishments within their respective areas of campus.
Sustainability Coordinators attend monthly group meetings, lead their School’s participation in seasonal awareness campaigns, recruit members to the Penn Employee Alliance for Climate & the Environment (PEACE), and help to identify offices to participate in the Green Office program and labs to participate in the Green Labs program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beginning with the launch of the University's first Climate Action Plan in 2009, the Sustainability Coordinators have been meeting monthly to share best practices, provide input on Penn Sustainability's programs, and assist in implementing goals. Outreach efforts by the Penn Sustainability Office eventually resulted in representatives serving from all twelve of Penn’s Schools. The Penn Sustainability Office's close interactions with non-academic units led to the participation of Coordinators from other departments such as Housekeeping, Business Services, and Athletics.
The Sustainability Coordinators provide valuable feedback to the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC) by articulating School perspectives while ensuring goals are institutionalized in their School when possible. In addition, they sometimes serve in a variety of other roles to support the CSAP 4.0: they organize their School’s Green Teams, collaborate on campus-wide campaigns and projects, serve on various ESAC subcommittees, and review proposals for Green Fund grants. They also play a strategic role in disseminating information to their School Green Teams and other key staff about campus Red Days, seasonal campaigns, and new initiatives.