Sustainability Matters

Reminder: Virtual board meeting set for October 18

In lieu of an in-person fall board meeting, we will host a videoconference on Friday, October 18th from 1:00 – 2:30 pm (AZ time), and a secondary session on October 29th at noon (AZ time). Please contact Emma Hopson to register and receive the login information.

This Youth Movement is more than a moment

Global Futures Laboratory thought leaders look at the wave of young people who are organizing and rallying around the notion that the climate crisis is not a future problem - it is a now problem.

The Sustainability Consortium marks ten-year milestone

2019 Impact Report shows a continued trend towards increased transparency by suppliers. This year’s data shows that product manufacturers who have engaged with the Index over a longer period of time have higher scores.

Sustainability student elected president of GPSA

School of Sustainability doctoral student Leah Jones, the 2019-2020 president of ASU's Graduate and Professional Student Association, wants all students’ voices to be heard. She is the first black president of the GPSA.

ASU scientists respond to new IPCC report

In their response, scientists associated with ASU's Global Futures Laboratory stressed the importance of acting with urgency, removing CO2 from the air and point sources, and engaging people who are most vulnerable to climate change.

The myth of infinite growth on a finite planet

Sustainability Scholar Christopher F. Jones reviews the history of what climate activist Greta Thunberg calls the “fairytale of eternal economic growth.” Jones describes the model of infinite growth as a 75-year-old departure from the history of economics rather than a timeless law of nature.

Grimm, Elser elected to National Academy of Sciences

Sustainability Scientists Nancy Grimm and James Elser have been recognized for their dedication to the advancement of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare of society.

ASU collaborates on virtual field trip to Makalawena, Hawai'i

ASU’s School of Sustainability and Center for Education Through eXploration (ETX Center) have collaborated with Kamehameha Schools on two virtual field trips to remote natural and cultural sites of Hawai'i.

Refugees in Uganda learn agribusiness online

A group of 30 people are the first to take the online Agribusiness 250 course through Education for Humanity, an ASU initiative that is offering higher education to refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Uganda and Rwanda.

ASU solar project in Puerto Rico promotes energy independence

Using flexible solar panels, a novel racking design and battery backup, community leaders can safely remove and replace panels before and after a major storm or hurricane, thanks to a collaboration with ASU doctoral students.

ASU, CI and Potsdam researchers explore future of Alto Mayo, Peru

Conservation International and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research partnered with Arizona State University to map out potential futures for the region they hope to link to the National Coffee Action Plan 2018-2030.

Gerber is lead author on global biodiversity assessment

Leah Gerber, director of ASU's Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, was a lead author on the United Nations Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) global assessment.

ASU awarded NASA grant for study on Colorado River water

A team led by Sustainability Scientist Enrique Vivoni has received $1 million from NASA’s Earth Science Division to provide long-range scenarios for water management for the Colorado River Basin.

Keeping Olympic marathon spectators cool

To help city officials and the Tokyo Olympic Committee prepare for extreme heat, Jenni Vanos and Ariane Middel measured and mapped out microclimates along the marathon course to identify hot spots where spectators may face discomfort or illness.

Designing for community and sustainability

Design School Assistant Professors Paul Coseo and Chingwen Cheng led a group of four landscape architecture students and one design student in a project to collaboratively redesign Old Stadium Park in Hawaii.

Darnall named National Academy of Public Administration fellow

The National Academy of Public Administration has inducted Nicole Darnall, associate dean and professor in the School of Sustainability, into its 2019 class of fellows. Darnall is one of eight NAPA fellows from ASU.

Westerhoff named 2019 Clark Prize Laureate

Paul Westerhoff, Fulton Chair of Environmental Engineering has been named the National Water Research Institute's 2019 Clarke Prize Laureate for his outstanding achievements in water science and technology.

ASU named top-ten Cool School for 2019

ASU has been named to Sierra Magazine's top 10 list of Coolest Schools for its wide-ranging sustainability efforts, from a fair trade pledge to climate-neutral construction to coral reef research.