Sustainability is pervasive everywhere, from the biggest Fortune 500 companies to small and medium ones. With the world battling the serious consequences of decades of anthropogenic pollution, every sector in the economy is not only conscious about its impact but is also actively working towards reducing its carbon footprint.
The sustainability ethos is now percolating even to those avenues where it had not made its presence felt earlier—for instance, the education sector. Universities and educational institutions have been training many students on different aspects of sustainability, yet, for a long time, they did not adopt sustainable practices. There’s much scope for educational institutions to adopt sustainable practices, from cutting down on paper to adopting renewable energy within its campus. A great instance of what can be done and achieved through sustainable practices is the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Spread over a vast land size of some 420 acres, UTA has been steadily incorporating sustainable practices in all its functions.
Leading the sustainability baton is Meghna Tare, Chief Sustainability Officer, at UTA. She is also the Founder and Director of the Regional Center of Expertise (RCE) for Education on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in North Texas. Meghna is a veteran in the sustainability space and has led the sustainability function for over a decade. She is also a recipient of numerous awards, like the Women of the Decade in Corporate Social Responsibility by WEF and Transformational Leader in Sustainability by Wells Fargo.
In an interaction with Sustainabilityzero, Meghna shares her insights on the sustainability journey of the university, as well as a broader take on how educational institutions should not only preach sustainability but also embrace it. Excerpts.
Educational institutions are known as centers that impart knowledge (say sustainability). But do they also need to relook at their own processes from a sustainable point of view?
Universities act as catalysts for sustainability efforts in the cities in which they are located and are unique. They have an opportunity to influence the community around them and the students, faculty, and staff within. Today, most campus sustainability initiatives comprise cost savings from long-lasting CFL bulbs or double-paned windows. But economic benefits are not the only force behind sustainability here at UTA. We tap into the “moral imperative,” based on the concept of systems thinking — that everything is a piece of the puzzle.
We need to draw the connections between natural ecosystem services and the economy, communicate those connections to others, and motivate them to take action. Students attending a university that places high value on sustainable operations and education are more likely to take this mindset to their future places of employment, where they can help shape the future of environmentally-friendly organizations. We hope that our leadership and accomplishment towards sustainability will serve as an example for other educational institutions.
Can you share some key sustainability performance indicators for educational institutions that can reduce their overall footprint?
Educational institutions like UTA focus on environmental indicators like water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction and diversion, sustainable dining, sustainable transportation. Recognizing that universities must move to the forefront of society’s sustainability efforts, we have increased and expanded our initiatives over the years by adopting and implementing sustainable practices and programs within all levels of the university. In addition to greening facility operations and improving natural habitats, we have been implementing an environmentally and sustainability-focused curriculum, promoting innovative research, encouraging student initiatives, and sponsoring public service initiatives.
Managing the environmental impacts of a 420-acre campus is a challenge. UTA is committed to the triple bottom line and strives to become a leader in campus sustainability through the efforts of administration, faculty, staff, and students. We have a recycling policy, green building policy, and an anti-idling policy to show our commitment to reducing our environmental impact. We are members of Air North Texas – a regional public awareness campaign and partnership that seeks to improve air quality in North Texas. As a partner, we work with them collaboratively to improve the air quality of the region. We offer car-sharing and bike-sharing programs to reduce the emissions from greenhouse gases (GHGs) and reduce congestion on campus.
The Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact engages with all the departments on campus through the Office Green Team program. The Green Office Program goes beyond the typical environmental initiatives that many individuals, offices, and departments at UT Arlington already support. This program takes a coordinated, long-term, and campus-wide approach, providing resources, helpful guidelines, and ongoing consultation as needed. The success of sustainability initiatives implemented on and by the campus community requires engagement, participation, and collaboration at all university levels, across campus – and beyond. We are making great progress within the institution and through partnerships with communities, businesses, government, and other higher education sectors.
UTA is renowned as a center of learning and sustainability; considering the long history and the vast spread of some 420 acres with over 100 buildings, how has that change come about?
Founded in 1895, UTA is a Carnegie Research 1 institution with more than 100 years of academic excellence and tradition. As the largest university in North Texas and second largest in The University of Texas System, UTA is located in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth, challenging our students to engage with the world around them in ways that make a measurable impact. UTA offers state-of-the-art facilities that encourage students to be critical thinkers. Through academic, internship, and research programs, our students receive real-world experiences that help them contribute to their community and, ultimately, the world. We have more than 180 baccalaureates, masters’, doctoral degree programs, and more than 60,000 students walking our campus or engaging in online coursework each year.
In fall 2018, UTA opened the new SEIR building, a state-of-the-art teaching and research space that is the heart of life and health science research on campus. The 229,000 square foot building is designed in accordance with sustainable practices, including high-energy efficient heating and cooling systems, water conservation practices, and sustainable materials for flooring and interior finishes. Similarly, the 234,000 square-foot Engineering Research Building (ERB) is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification requirements. Its energy-saving features include green and light-reflecting roofs, window designs for improved use of available light, rain and condensate water capture and storage for landscaping, and use of recycled materials.
You are also running a Sustainable SITES Initiative; what is it all about?
The Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) is an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction, and maintenance practices. The Sustainable Sites initiative is dedicated to fostering a transformation in land development and management practices that will bring the essential importance of ecosystem services to the forefront. The University of Texas at Arlington’s $78 million Special Events Center and Campus Green Park is one of the pilot SITES projects and features native and adapted plants that consume approximately 70% less water than a typical landscape for the area. A dry creek and ecological retention areas manage rainwater and stormwater runoff that, ultimately, drains into Johnson Creek. The Park also features a large lawn of drought-tolerant grass for student activities, innovative seating surfaces made from seat walls and stone ledges, and permeable paving made from recycled glass. More Information at Sustainable Sites Initiative
You are the first Chief Sustainability Officer at UTA and among the first ones in the US. How do you think the role of CSO has evolved, especially in the context of the educational sector?
I think it is still evolving. I am fortunate to work for UT Arlington, where sustainability is a top priority and is embedded in strategic planning. Most academic institutions have the sustainability office embedded in facilities management or academic department. The role requires more of a way of thinking. It calls for a lot of collaboration within the organization and outside the walls of the campus. Being able to articulate the vision, the importance of the initiatives clearly, and the ability to think broadly about the problems is necessary to make an impact in this role.
The success of sustainability initiatives implemented on and by the campus community requires engagement, participation, and collaboration at all university levels, across campus – and beyond
Millennials and Generation Z are demanding organizations and universities to be sustainable. It is more than recycling and healthy food in the cafeteria. It is about social impact! Students attending a university that places high value on sustainability are more likely to take this mindset to their future places of employment, where they can help shape the future of environmentally-friendly companies. We hope that our leadership will serve as an example for other educational institutions!
What would you say are the topmost challenges as CSO at UTA?
Sustainability is a complex, multidisciplinary subject. The biggest challenge is the complexity of implementing strategy across functions- operations, academics, student and staff engagement, and cross-sector collaborations. The core component of the CSO skill set is liaising with stakeholders and ensuring that their viewpoints inform board discussions. We have to continually “question and challenge” business-as-usual thinking. Applying the lens of systems thinking to sustainability is very important to make progress and present a long-term vision of why sustainability needs to be ingrained in the organization’s DNA.
UTA is renowned for its deep strength in scientific research with numerous centers like Solid Waste Institute for Sustainability. How do you leverage this strength and align operational sustainability efforts?
UTA was awarded the Excellence in Sustainability Award by NACUBO in 2018. NACUBO’s Excellence in Sustainability Award recognizes universities that advance environmental sustainability in higher education toward a more environmentally sustainable future. UT Arlington is a leader in operational efficiencies such as Waste Management and Diversion and has received a leadership award in 2014 and 2018 by the EPA Food Recovery Challenge and the 2019 Outstanding Composting Program by the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR).
UTA has also published a Strategic Plan 2025; how is sustainability ingrained in it?
The five themes of our Strategic Plan 2025 demonstrate how UT Arlington is tackling some of society’s greatest challenges and developing innovative solutions in areas of Health and Human Condition, Global Environmental, Sustainable Communities, Data-Driven Discovery, and Cultural Understanding and Social Transformations. In 2021, UTA was ranked 14th by the Times Impact Ranking-annual assessment of universities’ performance against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UTA also comes out with Sustainability Report; where can it be accessed?
UTA’s Sustainability Report follows the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. Our report is available online on a dashboard with the data and information updated every year.
In the past, you have stated that education and awareness is the core connection between innovation. How pertinent do you think is the process of communication? As a CSO, how do you look at sustainability communication?
I think it is vital to communicate your strategy, mission, vision, and goals effectively. Namely, be true to yourself. Leadership in the world of millennials rides on the success wheels of authenticity and communicating the vision and values in a way that shouts, ‘I care.’ Blending those values with your unique goals and strategy is very motivating. Leadership lives at the intersection of that spark and values.
You are also the founder of RCE North Texas. Can you throw some light on how RCE aids collaboration that helps address sustainable development challenges?
North Texas is about to become more heavily populated, with population projections more than doubling from the current 7.2 million residents by the year 2050. In this rapid growth scenario, all sectors of the region have grave concerns, which prompt the question, “How will North Texas fare as it confronts the diverse population projections together with the associated environmental, economic, and social challenges that are sure to follow?”
In 2003, the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) launched a global multi-stakeholder network of the Regional Centers of Expertise on ESD (RCEs). An RCE is an existing formal, non-formal, and informal organization that facilitates learning towards sustainable development in local and regional communities. As of July 2021, 179 RCEs have officially been acknowledged by United Nations University worldwide. RCE North Texas is one of the 179 RCE’s worldwide founded in March 2019 at the University of Texas at Arlington. It is a network of 75 multidisciplinary stakeholders, including higher education institutions, businesses, non-governmental organizations, community associations, and local, regional, state, and federal government agencies.
The success of sustainability initiatives requires engagement, participation, and collaboration at all university levels, across campus, and beyond. RCE North Texas is an influencer in the community as cities expand, providing the resources to maximize the potential economic opportunity that well-managed communities can offer and be a conduit for transformative education in North Texas. We are focused on the following SDGs, deemed priority for our region: Good Health and Well-Being (3); Quality Education (4); Sustainable Cities and Communities (11).
In most education institutions, sustainability (environmental awareness) is offered as a separate course. Do you think, given the enormous challenges that we face, sustainability education should be integrated into all streams of studies? If yes, what could be starting steps? Or any examples?
The urgency to address environmental, economic, and societal challenges continues to increase worldwide. Central to achieving sustainability is education at all levels, from as early as preschool and throughout all workforce levels. Recently the National Academies of Sciences released a report titled Strengthening Sustainability Programs and Curricula at the Undergraduate and Graduate Levels (2020). According to the report’s findings, there is documented growing interest in sustainability education in colleges and universities across the United States. One of the report’s recommendations was – academic institutions of higher education should embrace sustainability education as a required field that requires specifically tailored educational experiences and the development of core sustainability-focused competencies and capacities delivered through courses, majors, minors, certifications, research, and graduate degrees in sustainability.
We are focused on the following SDGs, deemed priority for our region: Good Health and Well-Being (3); Quality Education (4); Sustainable Cities and Communities (11)
The past two years have been very challenging for humanity. Do you think the realization of interconnectedness will make us more aware and conscious, or given the health challenges — sustainability issues will take a backseat?
This has been a challenging year for everyone. Headlines like people in India can see the Himalayas for the first time in ‘decades,’ as the lockdown eases air pollution are encouraging.
At the same time, the impacts of climate change are visible in the floods in Germany, fires in California and Oregon, and the heatwave that the US has been experiencing this summer.
The Pandemic has also brought to attention the inefficiencies in the food systems and health care. On a positive note, people have reconnected with nature, and it has been the most significant positive impact of the Pandemic. Sustainability is not taking a back seat. It is going to redefine how we operate and function as a society. Something as challenging as this Pandemic brings the gift of opportunity and growth- socially, economically, and environmentally.
Back in 2013, You had given a TED Talk titled “Why should we care about the planet?”, do you think we have moved ahead on that one? And if you were to give another talk, what would be title be?
I think there is no doubt in people’s minds that we should care about the planet. It is no longer an option but rather a way of life. There is always room to learn and grow, and I think education is a potent tool in that regard. So I were to give another talk it would focus on the “Power of Education” to reflect and resonate these powerful words by Iris Murdoch
“Education doesn’t make you happy. Nor does freedom. We don’t become happy just because we’re free – if we are. Or because we’ve been educated – if we have. But because education may be the means by which we realize we are happy. It opens our eyes, our ears, tells us where delights are lurking, convinces us that there is only one freedom of any importance whatsoever, that of the mind, and gives us the assurance – the confidence – to walk the path our mind, our educated mind, offers.”
— Shashwat DC
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