Sustainability

Commitment to Care For Our Common Home

Sustainability is a way of life at University of San Diego (USD). Student-led initiatives provide sustainable solutions to current issues. Faculty incorporate sustainability in curriculum. Collaborative research projects and grants between faculty and students pay immediate dividends for the USD community and beyond, including a $5 million grant by the National Science Foundation to educate community leaders about the impacts of climate change.

In 2016, USD adopted a Climate Action Plan with aggressive targets aimed at reducing the university's environmental impact. USD has already reduced its energy consumption by more than 20% since 2010 and water consumption by 38% since 2006. Additionally, 5,000+ photovoltaic panels generate 7% of the university’s energy needs, making the system one of the largest solar energy producers among private colleges nationwide.

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USD Sustainability Map
Begin quote The University of San Diego prepares students to be enlightened, engaged and ecological citizens. – James T. Harris III, President, University of San Diego

The first of its kind on a college campus, the University of San Diego Electronics Recycling Center is a living example of USD’s commitment to social entrepreneurship. The center has diverted 3+ million pounds of electronic waste from landfills and served 25,000+ customers, providing an important resource for USD and the region. The university's fair trade and bike-friendly designations also help to bolster its sustainable campus reputation.

From messaging on campus, to policies affecting how we do business, to facilitating engagement from our staff, students, faculty and administrators, to creating and supporting curricular efforts at all levels, we must take immediate action in concrete ways at all levels of the university to create a truly shared and lived vision of Care for Our Common Home.

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@usdsustain on Instagram

Bike to Work & School Day is THIS THURSDAY!!! Be sure to stop by our booth at the main campus entrance for a t-shirt and snacks! Happy riding 😁🚴🏼‍♂️
Don't forget to bring your bikes to Plaza Mayor tomorrow between 12-2pm if you need a little tune-up! A Cal Coast Bicycles mechanic will be there to help you out and get you up and running smoothly, for free! The San Diego Bicycle Coalition will also be joining us giving out bike safety and riding information. Hope to see you there!
Does your bike need a little love? Now is your chance to get your bike tuned-up by a Cal Coast Bicycles mechanic, for free! Come to Plaza Mayor, outside of the SLP, from 12-2pm on Tuesday, May 8th, for your free tune-up and to receive bike safety and riding information from the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition!
Join us for our #PlasticFreeFriday challenge! Bring your reusable water bottle with you to class, lunch, and anywhere else and refill them at the designated water refill stations on campus💚
TODAY'S THE DAY! Think you've got what it takes to beat the competition? Bring your team of 4-6 students down to Outdoor Adventures (UC 136) at 4PM sharp to get some snacks and your guidebook. The winning team gets a bag full of prizes!
EARTH FEST IS HERE! Get ready for two weeks of programming, volunteering and celebrating our Earth! Our office is partnering with @usd_outdooradventures for an event THIS WEDNESDAY 4/18! The event is the Amazing Race for Sustainability and will involve teams of students racing to see who solves the most clues and trivia. No early registration necessary, just show up to the Outdoor Adventures office (UC 136) with your team of 4-6 students the day of to participate. Pre-race snacks provided! Teams will be given a packet with all clues and trivia at the start of the event. Please be on time for the event to ensure that your team gets all of the necessary information for the race! Make sure to start studying that Sustainability map filter on USD Maps... 🔍👀
Who comes to mind when you think of a Sustainability Hero? Well now's your chance to nominate that person to be recognized at an appreciation event and potentially win a prize for their efforts! All students, faculty, staff and/or administration are eligible for voting. Please visit: http://www.sandiego.edu/sustainability/ for more information and a nomination form.
Get ready, Toreros, Earth Fest is coming up! Take a break and join in on the jam packed two weeks of fun activities, games and volunteering! For more information on all of these events visit the link in our bio!
Welcome back, Toreros! We hope you all had a great Spring Break! A reminder that Fall 2018 intern applications are open until THIS THURSDAY, April 5. We have 7 positions open for next semester. Please visit the link in our bio to find more information about each position. The title of each position links directly to the application. Get those apps in!
Friendly reminder that in light of National World Water Day, the Office of Sustainability and the Changemaker Hub are having an inclusive discussion on one of today's biggest environmental issues: the lack of water. 💧Come join us this Thursday in Warren Hall to learn more about the issue and hear an important guest speaker talk about ways that you can make a difference! #sustainability #usdsustain #water