Principles

The university is therefore committed to following core sustainability principles in all facets of planning and operations so that Stanford can lessen its environmental impact, ensure a healthy community and contribute to global solutions. Targeted policies and practices – as well as individual, everyday actions – are essential to realizing our vision of incorporating sustainability into every aspect of campus life.

Advance sustainability knowledge

• Ensure that all Stanford graduates, regardless of degree received, understand how the work they do can contribute to creating a sustainable world.
• Achieve excellence in research that can help solve the complex problems involved in creating a sustainable world.

Establish sustainability as a core value

• Lead sustainability by example.
• Integrate environmental awareness into campus culture, and make sustainable practices a part of everyday life.
• Incorporate considerations of sustainability into all aspects of campus purchases of products, services and food.

Minimize environmental footprint and preserve the ecosystem

• Dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from campus operations by reducing energy use in existing buildings, minimize energy use in new buildings, and greening our energy supply process and procurement.
• Use water resources efficiently, minimizing total water demand by continuing to implement water conservation measures and incorporating infrastructure for future water-saving measures into new facilities.
• Construct and renovate buildings to provide safe, productive indoor environments that use energy, water and other natural resources efficiently.
• Reduce the number of drive-alone commuters, and avoid increasing the total number of trips taken during peak commuting hours.
• Conserve resources through reuse, recycling, source reduction and composting – moving towards a zero waste campus.
• Preserve and manage environmental resources to allow the functioning of natural ecosystems and the long-term persistence of native species.
• Preserve and manage heritage resources to retain their historical and archaeological value and maximize their usefulness for producing knowledge.