About Sustainability at Appalachian
The pioneering spirit necessary to overcome the hardships of mountain life at the turn of the 18th century quickly characterized our institution, positioning App State early on as a leader in sustainability in higher education. As active stewards of our state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources, we challenge one another to think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications.
Here, environmental stewardship, economic responsibility and social equity create a framework for scholarship and research.
Why Resilience?
Resilience at App State is a comprehensive, campuswide effort to face challenges and devise innovative, multidisciplinary solutions to tackle complex environmental and social issues facing the university and the High Country.
This is an unprecedented era of technological growth in human history, but those strides are perhaps outpaced by issues of resource scarcity, climate disruption, population growth and myriad other concerns. Addressing these issues requires thoughtful, measured foresight, planning and adaptation from the university community to assure App State is not caught unprepared for eventual, likely inevitable disruptions. The safety and protection of students, faculty and staff is paramount, as is the conservation of the natural environment.
Related links:
Second Nature - Climate Resilience Background
U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
Professional Affiliations/Subscriptions
App State contributes to and learns from our professional affiliations and subscriptions:
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The College & University Recycling Coaltion supports collegiate recycling programs through technical assistance, education and training.
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The US Composting Council advances compost manufacturing, compost utilization and organics recycling to benefit its members, society and the environment.
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Carolina Recycling Association's mission is to conserve resources by advancing recycling and waste reduction throughout the Carolinas.
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Second Nature is committed to accelerating climate action in, and through, higher education by mobilizing higher education institutions to act on climate commitments, to scale campus climate initiatives and to create climate solutions.
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The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.
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The US Green Building Council is committed to a sustainable, prosperous future through LEED, the leading program for green buildings and communities worldwide.
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Powered by the UN Environment, EAUC & Second Nature - Race to Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and action ahead of COP26.
