About Us
The Office of Sustainability, supported by Facilities Management, works campus-wide to engage and educate students and staff, coordinate programs, and help faculty incorporate sustainability into their curriculum. The office also assesses and supports compliance with University and UNC System policies to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and pollution, and be good stewards of our environmental, social, and financial resources.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
A widely used definition of sustainability comes from the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The commission also maintained that sustainability requires meeting three areas of human needs: environmental, social, and economic.
UNC Charlotte is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), which defines sustainability “in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods and a better world for all generations.”
A comprehensive assessment of sustainability at UNC Charlotte is completed using AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). STARS was developed by the higher education community through a transparent and inclusive process, to provide metrics in four main categories:
- Academics
- Engagement
- Operations
- Planning and Administration