The university’s sustainability goals and what students can do to help
With an ever-changing society, environment and economy, some people might be wondering how Utah State University is implementing procedures to maintain a sustainable campus.
Patrick Belmont, a professor and head of the Department of Watershed Sciences, proposed a plan that was endorsed in February 2020 by former USU President Noelle Cockett. Belmont said the university committed to a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per year for the following 20 years. Even though the university struggled with COVID-19 related issues that year, Belmont said it still made progress with the commitment.
“We got about a 20% reduction between 2020 and 2021. It was a big deal because that’s 20,000 tons every year now of carbon pollution that is not being put in the atmosphere from USU,” he said.
However, Belmont said last year the university’s emission rates increased 4%, instead of going down 8%. He said one reason is because of negotiations the university was working on that didn’t come together.
“We really feel like, especially with the new leadership in the universities, it’s just important to recommit ourselves to that goal and to make sure that we’re providing the resources to facilities and others around campus to get done what needs to get done,” Belmont said. “We need to have the right conversations and have this be an integral part of decision-making at the university.”
Caitlin McLennan, USU’s sustainability coordinator, said the university is committed to carbon neutrality by 2040 and is hopeful about this commitment.
“That means zero waste by 2040. None of our operations will create any waste, and if it does, we can divert up to 90%,” McLennan said.
According to the USU sustainability website, in order to accomplish this goal, the university has finalized the Central Energy Plant Decarbonization Plan, which was published in November 2022. This plan identifies the most practical and cost-effective decarbonization pathways that the Logan campus can begin to implement for its Central Energy Plant, or CEP.
McLennan said one of these pathways is to implement a geothermal well field.
“This will be able to heat and cool our buildings with hot water instead of steam,” McLennan said. “An electrified system that we can then power utilizing renewable energy.”
She said the university is going to be developing renewable energy sources, including solar power, on campus for all USU-owned lands.
However, McLennan said sustainability is not just about carbon emissions.
“I think sustainability is this overarching, all-encompassing concept that is essential for every part of our lives,” McLennan said. “It’s also about the way that we buy and sell material and how we treat people.”
McLennan said she likes to look at the nested interdependencies model to describe sustainability. In this model, McLennan said there are three pillars to sustainability: the environment, society and the economy.
“Our environment holds us. It’s what allows us to have a society, and so society therefore sits inside and this society creates economy,” McLennan said. “We make the rules, and it’s up to us to continue making and remaking those rules.”
McLennan said this model looks at promoting healthy places for people and systems in society that allow people to succeed at USU through community governance structures that can engage with and ask these communities what they need.
She said the model also looks at economic justice, which includes equitable pay scales and ensuring that the university is promoting a sustainable work culture.
Looking at the social pillar, McLennan said she works closely with the Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to try and intertwine ideas and frameworks associated with environmental justice so marginalized populations can be respected and be at the forefront of solutions.
According to McLennan, another goal the sustainability office has is to revitalize and reinvigorate the Sustainability Council.
“I really want people to feel like they can and are empowered to work on sustainability at USU,” McLennan said.
She said it’s important to try and understand how to better educate students on waste management and reduction and to get students interested in uplifting and advertising core research that’s happening.
USU’s sustainability website says while obtaining carbon neutrality and engaging the public on sustainability issues are important, the small acts of fellow Aggies keep everything going.
“I like to tell students all the time that no matter what field you’re going into, you can be a climate worker,” McLennan said. “If you’re an engineer, you can think about efficient electric processes, renewable energy technician training and that sort of thing. If you’re interested in aviation, start getting involved with some of the cool biogas research that’s happening. If you’re a business major, think about corporate social responsibility and environmental social government frameworks that you can put towards your work every day.”
For students wanting to learn more about how they can connect every job with a climate job, Belmont suggested looking at Project Drawdown.
According to their website, Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization that encourages everyone to learn about climate solutions. They give suggestions on how individuals can alter their own activities to reduce personal contribution to climate change, engage with others and advocate for climate change.
Belmont said students’ voices are important and that it comes down to talking and voting. He said students at USU could exert the dominant voice in who represents them at the state legislature level, and possibly at the national level.
“You want to see that USU is looking out for your best interests,” Belmont said. “You guys should be talking about it among yourselves, and you’re going to find ways that you can maybe cut your own carbon footprints, but more importantly, work together to get USU and other businesses around Logan to be taking this issue more seriously.”