Rice continues to make significant strides toward a sustainable future, guided by its commitment to embrace the principles and objectives outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). With 17 interconnected goals addressing the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability, the UN SDGs provide a comprehensive framework to guide efforts toward a more equitable, just, and sustainable world.
Rice has already made notable progress in its sustainability efforts, with initiatives such as composting, green building, renewable energy production, campus recycling, and energy and water efficiency programs. These initiatives contribute to several SDGs, including clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). However, university leaders recognize that to achieve meaningful and lasting change, additional UN SDG goals must be incorporated into Rice’s sustainability approach, which will require collaboration and partnerships from across campus.
The newly formed Office of Sustainability within the Department of Campus Services & Sustainability will spearhead many of the university’s sustainability initiatives. Achieving initiative goals will require close collaboration with various departments, faculty, staff, and students. By fostering collaboration and leveraging the collective knowledge and expertise of the community, the university aims to create a holistic and comprehensive sustainability approach.
The Office of Sustainability, which includes the team from the former Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management, will begin its efforts within Finance & Administration by working with each department’s leadership and their teams to assess which UN SDGs can be addressed based on the nature of their work, how processes are conducted, and other relevant team dynamics. While this work will begin in the fall, the campus community is encouraged to begin exploring the UN SDGs. Additionally, if you’d like to learn more about Rice’s sustainability efforts related to water, please see the 2022 Rice University Water Year in Review Report.