Business View Magazine - May 2016 117
instituted in 2007. Its mission is to provide a living
laboratory where students, faculty, and staff can par-
ticipate in the development of social equity, economic
stability, and environmental stewardship in seven key
areas: water, recycling and waste minimization, trans-
portation, operations, procurement, energy and cli-
mate change, and academics and research.
All seven of those key initiatives are part of NAU’s Sus-
tainability Action Plan, originally created in 2010, and
updated and revised in 2015. The goal of the Plan is to
meet 25 percent of each section’s actions by this year,
50 percent by 2016, 70 percent by 2017, 80 percent
by 2018, 90 percent by 2019, and 100 percent by
2020. Some of NAU’s additional sustainable accom-
plishments and projects include: the development and
implementation of 29 undergraduate and 13 graduate
academic degree programs in the environment and
sustainability, 79 academic courses in sustainability
and 125 academic courses related to sustainability;
an 18 million dollar investment in a campus-wide, en-
ergy efficiency retrofit and conservation program; a
million dollar investment in 138 dual “Big Belly” out-
door recycling and trash receptacles; the initial move-
ment towards a new water irrigation system that will
reduce landscaping water use by approximately 35
percent; and LEED certification of 15 campus build-
ings by the end of 2016. (Developed by the U.S. Green
Building Council, LEED stands for Leadership in En-
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
Northern Arizona University
WHAT:
A public university, first established in 1899
WHERE:
Main campus is located in Flagstaff, AZ
WEBSITE
:
NAU’s Office of Sustainability Americorp member, Rachelle Berry, demonstrating a solar thermal technology. This project was se-
lected as a finalist in the category of Arizona Forward’s 35th Annual Environmental Excellence Awards program in the category of the
Governor’s Award for Arizona’ Future.
