Student Sustainability

Illinois students have been sustainability leaders in higher education for years. 

For example, students advocated for a Solar Farm, and now Illinois has one of the largest university-owned photovoltaic arrays in the country. Students volunteer and work at the Sustainable Student Farm, which provides more than 50,000 lbs. of locally-grown produce annually to the dining halls. In 2003, students proposed and passed a referendum to establish what is now North America's largest university sustainability funding pool—over $1.3 million, annually. More than 400 sustainability projects, many of which were student-led, have been financed since the sustainable student fee referendum was approved. This equates to more than $16.7 million in funding for sustainability initiatives since then.

We know there is more work to be done. So, how else can students make a difference? 

Sustainability isn’t just about the big decisions. It’s also about our daily choices: taking a shorter shower, recycling plastics, eating responsibly sourced foods, using zero-emission modes of transportation, and hundreds of other little actions that add up to have a profound impact on our environment. It’s through these small and big commitments that we’ll build a culture of sustainability at Illinois and create a more promising future for the world.