In June 2020, the GW Board of Trustees Task Force on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Responsibility published a report stating the university’s commitment to taking swift and decisive action to reverse the trends of climate change and of inequity in our institutions and society. Guided by GW’s internal Ecosystems Enhancement Strategy and external rankings, GW will make significant progress on sustainability in the coming years, on campus and in the classroom.

 

ESG Task Force Report  Sustainability Progress Report  2019 STARS Report  Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report

Leading by Example 

 

• Divest the endowment from fossil fuels and seek out investments in companies with sustainable business practices.

 

• Achieve carbon neutrality by an accelerated date of 2030, and then neutralize all historic emissions since the University's founding in 1821.

 

• Phase out single use plastics across campus.

 

• Increase biodiversity and stormwater capture on campus.

 

• Ensure all students are offered a sustainability academic credit, and developing a transdisciplinary academic home for research and learning.

 

Track our Progress 

 

 

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