University Leaders Sign Sustainable Campus Charter

Six members of the Council on Competitiveness participated in the Global University Leadership Forum in Davos last month. The meeting resulted in a Sustainable Campus Charter pledging support for campus-wide sustainable practices. Council members Lee C. Bollinger, Columbia University; Ronald J. Daniels, The Johns Hopkins University; John J. DeGioia, Georgetown University; Amy Gutmann, University of Pennsylvania; Susan Hockfield, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Robert Zimmer, University of Chicago, signed the charter.

The Sustainable Campus Charter committed universities to three principles:

• Demonstrating respect for nature and society and agreeing that sustainability considerations should be an integral part of planning, construction, renovation and operation of buildings on campus

• Ensuring long-term sustainable campus development, campus-wide master planning and target-setting should include environmental and social goals

• Aligning the organization’s core mission with sustainable development, facilities, research, and education should be linked to create a “living laboratory” for sustainability.

The pledge was signed by the heads of 25 universities representing nine countries. See a list of the Global University Leadership Forum participants.