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Innovative Industries 1: Writing (WLP)
By: Sustainability Research Fellow, Katie Koenig Introduction So much of environmental advocacy and innovation relies on the idea of “the future.” What will the future look like on our current path, ravaged by more climate disasters than ever before? What future do we want for our planet? One where greenhouse gas emissions are eliminated and…
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Colleges, Now 9: Finding Information
By: Katie Koenig Finding Information Data dashboards are incredibly helpful to check out what institutions are doing when it comes to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and waste diversion. Still, not every institution offers these convenient web pages, like Emerson (yet). If the institution doesn’t publish that data, there’s very little you can do to find…
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Colleges, Now 8: Visualizing BU’s Climate Action
By: Katie Koenig Data Dashboards If you’ve scrolled through college websites, you’ve probably encountered a dashboard before. The most common is probably a breakdown of student demographics. Arizona State University, which I covered in my last post, created a Campus Metabolism dashboard to present live data on their buildings’ energy and pollution outputs. Although that…
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Colleges, Now 7: ASU’s Campus Metabolism
By Katie Koenig While researching college sustainability efforts, I generally look for the most eye-catching, unique initiatives I can find. Something like a “big ticket item” to add to this series every once in a while. “Sustainability” is such a broad term that I want to find efforts that really push the limits of what…
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Colleges, Now 6: Emerson’s Engagement Lab
By Katie Koenig History Emerson’s Engagement Lab was first created in 2010 and evolved to focus on storytelling across many different media promoting “peace, equity, and justice.” Although it was closed at the end of 2024, its students, faculty, staff, and partners spent almost a decade and a half providing educational spaces and resources to…
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Colleges, Now 5: Art and Research Grants
By: Katie Koenig MassArt Sustainability Initiative Not every college sticks exactly to the Living Lab structure, but many still promote sustainability among student projects. Massachusetts College of Art offered its students funding and platforms to promote their sustainability-related art projects through a program called the Sustainability Initiative. Although it only lasted from 2013 to 2017,…
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Colleges, Now 4: Living Labs Among the UCs
By: Katelyn Koenig UC System University of California Berkeley is tied for third with Lund University in Sweden in the QS World University Rankings for Sustainability in 2025. Along with several other UCs, Berkeley reached a platinum rating with AASHE in 2023. Sustainability on the University of California’s ten campuses and five medical systems is…
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Colleges, Now 3: Emerson’s Community Impact
By: Katie Koenig Between University of Toronto’s (U of T’s) expansive carbon reduction goals and Boston University’s (BU’s) support of their local community, it’s clear that colleges’ efforts to become more sustainable are incredibly varied in scope and focus. Still, there are similar projects done at other colleges, even with less resources than the well-funded…
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Colleges, Now 2: BU Bikes
By Katie Koenig Supporting Local Communities We all produce waste, whether we’re living in the dorms or in an apartment off campus. With limited space in the dorms in particular, we often realize we have items we no longer need. An extra jacket, an old pair of shoes, maybe some decor or a lamp—there are…
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Colleges, Now 1: Introduction and University of Toronto
By Katie Koenig Introduction Emerson has plenty of sustainability programs itself, least of which is Griff Gives, our end-of-semester dorm donation drive. However, what sustainable services are other colleges offering their students? How does Emerson compare? My fellow Sustainability Fellow, Lizzie, and I will highlight other colleges’ efforts to support their students in living more…
