Envisioning a future with healthy & thriving resource systems for all
What We're Doing
Put our heads together
GW is one of a handful of organizations exploring how an institution can enhance ecosystem services. This is a rich opportunity to bring together the resources on campus, the energy and dedication of our students, the ingenuity of faculty researchers and the expertise of staff to use the platform a university provides for sharing insights and increasing the impact on and off campus.
Practice what we teach
Our campuses provide living laboratories for exploring approaches to sustainability challenges that many public and private institutions have in common. By setting ambitious goals and targets, testing ways to meet them and reporting on our progress, we can help advance urban sustainability and resilience and position the university for financial savings.
Run on student energy
Students provide ideas, passion and influence on sustainability issues across our campuses. They drove our initial sustainability initiatives and remain engaged in many ways: for instance, through student groups on campus, academic work and living labs, and our Eco- Equity Challenge.
What You Can Do
For Students
Join a student group, or start your own. Add a Minor in Sustainability to complement your Major any discipline. Develop solutions to sustainability challenges on campus and in the community. Prepare yourself for a career making change.
For Faculty and Staff
Enhance your research by joining an interdisciplinary team of faculty looking at different angles of a complex issue. Mentor students interested in your field. Use campus as a living laboratory for your courses.
Put the principles of sustainability into practice in your office space. Join the Green Office Network to connect with other champions of sustainability across the University.
For Partners
Promote internships and job opportunities to students. Provide expertise to help GW reduce its footprint. Mentor students on community projects. Fund a program or initiative.
"GW will continue to play a leadership role in addressing global sustainability challenges during my presidency. I am committed to supporting our university’s approach to providing the knowledge, research, practical solutions and informed graduates that create a positive and sustainable future."
Thomas J. LeBlanc
President, The George Washington University
Recent Blog Posts
DC Climathon 2019: Closing the Loop on Textile Waste
- The Dark Side of 5G Technology
- GW Green Move Out- Capturing the driveing force behind sustainability
- Sustainability at GW: Year in Review
Climathon is a global hackathon event in which cities across the globe develop solutions to challenges exacerbated by climate change.
This year, the DC Climathon theme is "Closing the Loop on Textile Waste".
Textiles provide significant value to our society by providing protective, decorative, cleaning, and other functions. However, textile waste has grown to a 460 billion dollar-a-year problem, and the creation of textiles has contributed to natural resource degradation and untold negative impacts on human health and safety. Donating and reselling clothing is an important part of the solution but only addresses a narrow swath of the waste stream. Currently, the vast majority of unwanted clothing and other textiles are landfilled or incinerated. This is literally throwing away the labor and economic opportunity embedded in these still valuable resources. How do we solve this unnecessary problem while creating economic opportunities for DC residents?
This year, DC Climathon is seeking innovative business, tech, and social enterprise solutions for the end-of-life management of clothing and other textiles.
No previous experience required--just bring your energy, creativity, and passion for making an impact!
Students as well as community members are encouraged to attend. Over the course of 24 hours, participants will form teams, develop ideas, and pitch their idea to a team of judges. The best ideas may win prizes ranging from cash to support implementation, to in-kind prizes like additional mentorship and resources.
DATE: October 25th 3pm - October 26th 3pm
LOCATION: The George Washington University School of Business, Duques Hall, 2201 G St NW Washington DC 20052
