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data-drupal-link-system-path="node/385">Sustainability Grants</a> </li> <li> <a href="/get-involved" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/94">Get Involved</a> </li> <li> <a href="/sustainability-education-research" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/132">Education and Research</a> </li> <li> <a href="/topics" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/63">Topics</a> </li> <li> <a href="/progress-commitments" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/93">Progress</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about" aria-current="page" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/56" class="is-active"><span class="visually-hidden">The Current Page is </span>About</a> <ul> <li> <a href="/about/contact-us" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/53">Contact Us</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/58">News</a> </li> <li> <a href="/OS" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/433">Office of Sustainability</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about/sustainability-council" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/140">Sustainability Council</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about/sustainableumd-network" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/57">SustainableUMD Network</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about/donate" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/123">Donate</a> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> <div class="col-800-9"> <nav aria-label="Breadcrumb"> <ol class="breadcrumb"> <li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li class="breadcrumb-item breadcrumb--active" aria-current="page">About </li> </ol> </nav> <div data-history-node-id="56"> <div class="editor-content"> <h1>About </h1> </div> </div> <div class="section section-umd_terp_basic_page section-ut_text"> <div> <div class="editor-content" id="umd_terp_paragraph--1221"> <p><span>Addressing sustainability is essential because healthy water, healthy air, and healthy ecosystems are foundational to a thriving society. </span></p><p><span>Higher education institutions, such as the University of Maryland, are in a unique position to advance sustainability solutions, awareness, and action. Over 50,000 students, faculty and staff live, work, research and study on campus each day. From energy and water use to transportation and food services, UMD has continual opportunities to cultivate a culture of sustainability while conducting critical research that guides sustainability policy and innovation here and around the world.</span></p><p><span>UMD strives to empower students, faculty and staff to take sustainable steps by bringing local and global systems into balance, redesigning processes to conserve resources, and experimenting with novel sustainable practices. We recognize the power of higher education to influence broader change, empower youth with skills and understanding, and integrate change by serving as an immersive learning lab for education, research, experience and civic engagement. UMD aims to serve as an example for society to facilitate the crucial cultural, functional, and technological transitions to a world that supports everyone.</span></p><h2><span><strong>SustainableUMD</strong></span></h2><p><span>The </span><a href="https://sustainability.umd.edu/about/office-sustainability"><span>Office of Sustainability</span></a><span> compiles and communicates sustainability efforts from across campus and supports the </span><a href="https://sustainability.umd.edu/about/sustainableumd-network"><span>SustainableUMD network</span></a><span>. SustainableUMD refers to the campus-wide commitment to environmental responsibility. </span></p><p><span>Every person contributes to UMD's impacts and every aspect of campus affects the university's sustainability performance. Regardless of where on campus one works, studies, or lives, each person can help</span><a href="https://sustainability.umd.edu/get-involved"><span> advance sustainability</span></a><span>. By integrating academics, research, operations, and student engagement, the campus community can model and leverage broader change. Within the campus, UMD is innovating sustainable solutions, immersing students in a healthy and inspiring environment, and modeling a demonstration for more green communities.</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section section-umd_terp_basic_page section-ut_card_group"> <div class="card-group-bg card-group-bg-default" id="umd_terp_paragraph--888"> <div class="card-group"> <div class="card-wrap card-wrap--3"> <div class="card" id="umd_terp_paragraph--887"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-text"><p>Collaborations across campus drive in sustainability progress.</p></div> <a href="/about/sustainableumd-network" class="card-cta fancy-link" target="_self"> SustainableUMD Network </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="card-wrap card-wrap--3"> <div class="card" id="umd_terp_paragraph--884"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-text"><p>Supporting campus sustainability initiatives, programs, and progress. </p></div> <a href="/OS" class="card-cta fancy-link" target="_self"> Office of Sustainability </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="card-wrap card-wrap--3"> <div class="card" id="umd_terp_paragraph--886"> <div class="card-body"> <div class="card-text"><p>Providing leadership and guidance to campus sustainability efforts.</p></div> <a href="/about/sustainability-council" class="card-cta fancy-link" target="_self"> Sustainability Council </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section section-umd_terp_basic_page section-ut_text"> <div> <div class="editor-content" id="umd_terp_paragraph--1224"> <h2><span><strong>Explore Campus Sustainability</strong></span></h2><p>Campus Sustainability map and virtual tour:</p><ul><li><a href="https://maps.umd.edu/map/index.html?&x=-76.94528514188389&y=38.988911939737115&zoom=16&basemap=simplified&layers=greentour">Green Maryland Tour</a></li><li><a href="https://maps.umd.edu/map/index.html?&x=-76.94300701677248&y=38.992112090580896&zoom=20&basemap=simplified&layers=sustainabilityTour">Sustainability Tour</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section section-umd_terp_basic_page section-ut_text"> <div> <div class="editor-content" id="umd_terp_paragraph--1220"> <h2><span><strong>Our Commitment</strong></span></h2><p><span>The University of Maryland's </span><a href="https://sustainability.umd.edu/about/sustainability-council"><span>Sustainability Council </span></a><span>has identified six main goals for campus sustainability, focusing on emissions, smart growth, waste, water, education, and local and global impact. </span></p><p><span>In 2021, UMD’s president pledged that the university would achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, 25 years earlier than the initial goal of 2050. </span><a href="https://sustainingprogress.umd.edu/progress-commitments/climate-action-plan"><span>UMD’s Climate Action Plan</span></a><span> (CAP) identifies, tracks, and reports on strategies to avoid, reduce and offset those emissions. By doing so, the CAP aims to save energy, resources and costs. </span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section section-umd_terp_basic_page section-ut_button_set"> <div class="btn-set btn-set-centered" id="umd_terp_paragraph--1223"> <a href="/progress-commitments" class="btn btn-dark" target="_self"> Progress & Commitments </a> </div> </div> <div class="section section-umd_terp_basic_page section-ut_text"> <div> <div class="editor-content" id="umd_terp_paragraph--1225"> <h2><span><strong>What is Sustainability</strong></span></h2><blockquote><p><span>“Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.”</span></p><p><span>-US Environmental Protection Agency </span></p></blockquote><p>The practice of sustainability recognizes interconnections between pressures that shape human behaviors and decisions; it requires a holistic approach to creating and maintaining human systems of stewarding natural resources.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section section-umd_terp_basic_page section-ut_button_set"> <div class="btn-set btn-set-centered" id="umd_terp_paragraph--912"> <a href="/about/contact-us" class="btn btn-dark" target="_self"> Contact Us </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer class="site-footer" aria-label="Main"> <div class="site-footer-main"> <div class="max-bound"> <nav class="site-footer-nav" aria-label="Footer"> <ul> <li> <a href="/about" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/56" class="is-active" aria-current="page">About</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about/contact-us" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/53">Contact Us</a> </li> <li> <a href="/grants" target="_self" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/385">Sustainability Fund</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/58">News</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://sustainingprogress.umd.edu/" target="_blank">Progress Hub</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <div class="site-footer-about"> <div class="site-footer-logo"> <img src="/sites/default/files/Sustainable%20UMD%20Logo%20-%20Horizontal_1.png" alt="SustainableUMD footer logo"> </div> <div class="site-footer-address"> <strong>SustainableUMD</strong><br> <span>4716 Pontiac St, College Park, MD 20740</span><br> <a href="mailto:sustainability@umd.edu">sustainability@umd.edu</a> </div> <div class="site-footer-social"> <ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/sustainableumd" target="_blank"> <span class="sr-only">Visit our Twitter</span> <span class="icon icon-twitter" aria-hidden="true"></span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sustainableumd" target="_blank"> <span class="sr-only">Visit our Facebook</span> <span class="icon icon-facebook" aria-hidden="true"></span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainableumd" target="_blank"> <span class="sr-only">Visit our Instagram</span> <span class="icon icon-instagram" aria-hidden="true"></span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableumd" target="_blank"> <span class="sr-only">Visit our Youtube</span> <span class="icon icon-youtube" aria-hidden="true"></span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-maryland/" target="_blank"> <span class="sr-only">Visit our LinkedIn</span> <span class="icon icon-linkedin" aria-hidden="true"></span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="site-footer-legal"> <div class="max-bound"> <ul> <li> <a href="https://umd.edu" target="_blank">UMD.edu</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.umd.edu/web-accessibility">Web Accessibility</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.umd.edu/privacy-notice" target="_blank">Privacy Notice</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://diversity.umd.edu/resources/land-acknowledgement" target="_blank">Land Acknowledgement</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://sustainingprogress.umd.edu">Progress Hub</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </footer> <a href="#" class="back-to-top">Back to Top</a> </div> <script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_g47qskXtN_1LCGtZ5nTzWUcvfIr3TqhvqI12BQ5kHsg.js?scope=footer&delta=0&language=en&theme=umd_sustainability_theme&include=eJwrzU2JL0ktKtBPz8lPSszRSc_PT89JjS9JTNdPL8lF5Samo_P1ErMSK3RKgWYUJ2fk5-eUZ6akxmekJqakFumDRCFMAKEFJsE"></script> <script src="https://umd-header.umd.edu/build/bundle.js?search=1&search_domain=&events=0&news=0&schools=0&admissions=0&support=1&support_url=&wrapper=&sticky=0"></script> </body> </html>