Virginia Tech has established a priority to make our campus more sustainable and energy efficient. The university has taken a number of proactive steps to achieve this objective from redefining benchmarks for capital projects to include sustainable design components that will qualify buildings for U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, to incorporating pedestrian friendly districts into the 2006 Campus Master Plan.  Additionally, the General Assembly recently approved $28.75 million in capital funds for steam system utility distribution and central power plant upgrades that will result in significant energy savings on campus. 

Links to the University's Sustainability Efforts

Virginia Tech is in the process of identifying additional sustainability solutions that along with current sustainability initiatives will allow Virginia Tech to be a good steward of the environment while providing a high quality of life for learning, living and work.  We hope you will use this website to learn more about the numerous sustainability efforts that are already taking place on the Virginia Tech campus, as well as to find out how you can become involved in this very important university initiative. 

Facilities Sustainability Website

• Virginia Tech's efforts to become sustainable has evolved over the past decade and the university has established it a priority to make the campus more energy efficient and sustainable. The Facilities sustainability website highlights the projects and strategic efforts the university has made to become a sustainable campus.

Innovative Solutions Supporting Sustainability

Environmental Coalition

• A student organization at Virginia Tech that provides resources for Environmental Organizations and earth-friendly individuals on and near the community.

Dean's Forum on the Environment

• The forum will serve as a catalyst, bringing together Virginia Tech’s environmental community of faculty and students and positioning Virginia Tech as the Commonwealth’s lead university in discovery, learning, and engagement related to the environment

Deans' Task Force on Energy Security and Sustainability

• The task force's mission is to coordinate, promote, and position Virginia Tech's educational, research, and outreach efforts to achieve sustainable and secure energy systems.

Earth Sustainability Core Curriculum

• The Earth Sustainability core course is part of the newly emerging Living in the 21st Century program, which is designed to integrate the goals of the university's core curriculum in an interdisciplinary theme-based learning experience offered over two years.

Recycling

• Virginia Tech has entered a national recycling competition among colleges and universities, which has the goal to "increase student awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization." For more information about the competition see Recyclemania.

Sustainable Engineered Materials Institute

• The Sustainable Engineered Materials Institute (SEMI) involves the cooperative efforts of faculty, staff, and students from several departments who have a shared interest in promoting the wise management of timber resources to ensure an economic and environmentally sustainable supply of renewable resources to match future demand for building construction materials and allied products.