Culture of Sustainable Living

The goal is to organize these systems and policies so that they support, strengthen and enhance a culture of health and sustainability. This will enable all members of the campus community to achieve, learn and serve, which will lead to a society that is healthier and more socially just.

There is a clear connection between the campus environment and the overall health of our students, faculty and staff. There is also a correlation between our health and our success, which has wider implications for society.

According to sustainability education leader Anthony Cortese, “… education for and practicing how to achieve a healthy, just and sustainable society are critical to meeting higher education’s social responsibility of providing the knowledge and educated citizenry for a thriving civil society.” These systems and policies can cover a range of areas. For example, it is imperative that we address the ecology of the community as a whole and evaluate what is good and bad for our overall health. Similarly, sustainability education requires an understanding of issues that stretches across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Strategic action items in the Strategies section (listed on this site and in the Sustainability Action Plan) will help encourage the collaboration that is essential for a balanced view of these issues, and a successful long-term execution of this sustainability action plan.

Finally, equity and inclusion are a priority for a healthy, sustainable culture at Clemson. This necessitates the development of a diverse and multi disciplinary stakeholder group of faculty, staff, and students. This inclusive set of active stakeholders will create a more effective and innovative sustainability action plan.