Environmental change and the sustainable viability of Earth’s environment are perhaps the seminal challenges to human society during the coming decades. The widely accepted definition of sustainability is the ability to provide for the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

With a global population of nearly 6.5 billion and a projected population of 9 billion by 2050, the global community must find ways of reducing consumption and sustaining our precious, life-giving resources if we are to forestall environmental degradation and a possible collapse of the global ecosystem.

As a Catholic institution of higher learning, Villanova University has an obligation and commitment to exercise leadership in promoting and reinforcing environmental responsibility by integrating ethical, social, economic, and ecological values of environmentally sustainable development into its curriculum, research, and institutional policy and practice. Thus, as a community of scholars, we approach sustainability in many ways.

The Villanova Commitment to Sustainability

Upon his election as the University’s 32nd President, Father Peter M. Donohue further reinforced Villanova’s commitment to sustainability by the signing the President’s Climate Commitment – a document signed by leaders of Colleges and Universities throughout the United States. The ultimate goal of this commitment is make Villanova a “climate neutral” campus in the near future.

The Villanova Commitment to Sustainability involves all of the schools and colleges that make up the University, as well as many of the student and campus support systems. As one this program’s major endeavors, Villanova University is hosting an international academic conference titled, From the Local to the Global: International SustainAbility Conference  in April 2009.

This commitment dovetails with a number of initiatives already in place or recently begun throughout campus:
  Year of Sustainability
  Environmental Leadership Learning Community
  “Green” construction practices
  Recycling
  Organic, Fair Trade, and waste composting practices in Dining Services
  Energy conservation measures in most buildings, including a Dorm Energy Competition
  Solar panels
  Several related organizations (VEG, VU Ecological Society, etc.)
  Extensive research in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Engineering.

80th Anniversary of the Mendel Medal Celebration

In recognition of the 80th Anniversary of the Mendel Medal Celebration, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is sponsoring a cross-campus effort, to focus the integration of Sustainability into the academic curriculum, the development of student and faculty research programs and community outreach as part of a year-long Villanova Commitment to Sustainability.

Academic Programs

As part of the Villanova Commitment to Sustainability we will support the concepts of sustainability in our curriculum, research, and related activities; thus preparing all members of the Villanova community to contribute to an environmentally sound society. Villanova’s commitment to sustainability is manifested in the development of a Masters Degree in Sustainable Engineering in the College of Engineering along with many other academic and institutional initiatives highlighted in the web site.

Ultimately, the goal of the University’s various sustainability efforts is to:
  Educate the campus community about sustainability and the environment
  Promote ecological literacy and environmentally sound practices
     among its students, faculty, staff, and graduates
  Embody responsible consumption
  Foster collaboration between units of the university and external resources
  Consult with campus departments (administrative and academic) to find
     ways of reducing environmental impacts and promoting sustainability
  Measure and report on campus sustainability efforts
  Provide outreach to individuals and organizations both internal and
     external to the University

This website is intended to house all the information related to each of these initiatives and organizations, directing you to other Villanova sites, as necessary.

General questions related to Villanova’s commitment to sustainability can be sent to climatecommitment@villanova.edu