Sustainability has long been a pillar within Clarkson University, woven into the curriculum and extracurricular activities in an effort to better the perspectives and expertise within its faculty and student body. For the past ten years, the university has taken a crosswalk approach under the leadership of President Anthony G. Collins, meeting sustainability goals through classroom instruction, student projects and strategic initiatives.

Now, the university is taking the initiative a step further by making the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which span social, economic, ecological and energy, part of the long-term strategic planning process. Over the next month we will be highlighting the SDGs at Clarkson University through outreach campaigns, workshops, and events. 

This week we are focusing on SDGs that work toward an increased quality of life.  Look for our TV screens and facebook posts that help to celebrate our leaders in these areas. 

#9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Michelle Crimi, Director of Engineering and Management, received funding thanks to the Shipley Center to continue the development of a product that helps remove polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from groundwater. Crimi and Fiona Laramay, a PhD candidate at Clarkson, have developed a treatment reactor that, when installed in a horizontal well underground, passively captures water and uses sound waves to cause cavitation in the water to destroy PFAS.

#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities: 14 Clarkson students helped the New York Olympic region (Lake Placid) pursue LEED certification in an effort to evaluate its sustainability efforts, resulting in the region achieving LEED Gold certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a globally recognized rating system that helps measure and track outcomes and evaluate progress against key metrics including energy, water, waste, transportation, etc. 

#12 Responsible Consumption and Production: All of Clarkson’s IT purchases are EPEAT gold certified. EPEAT, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, is a global ecolabel for the IT sector. It evaluates the effects of electronic products on the environment.

#16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Clarkson’s Peace Action Chapter was formed in Fall 2020 by students wanting to get involved in social justice efforts. Peace Action believes that every person has the right to live without the threat from war and that America has the resources and responsibility to both protect and provide for its citizens.     

Upcoming SDG Events:

• SDG Awareness Week: 
  • February 28 – March 4th
  • Celebrated as part of the University Global Coalition.
• SDG Faculty Workshop
  • Thursday, Feb 24, 2022, 9:45 – 11:30am
  • Peterson Board Room or Zoom
• SDGs Launch!
  • This will be a 3 part workshop for students and community members. Students will be able to earn an SDG badge. 
    • Session 1: April 1 – Apr 8, 2022 (Asynchronous)
    • Sessions 2 and 3: April 9th 
• SDG Blitz!
  • Training on Feb 28 or Mar 1 to prep a group of faculty, staff and student volunteers to do short interviews with instructors during SDG week to identify ALL classes that relate to the SDGs.