University Times

The University’s sustainability committee is surveying the Pitt community to gauge awareness of sustainability efforts and determine where those efforts might be increased.

April 7 is the deadline to participate in what will be periodic examinations of sustainability efforts here, says Laura Zullo, senior manager of energy initiatives in the Office of Facilities Management and head of the committee.

“We’re really trying to develop a strong culture of sustainability at Pitt,” says Zullo. While there are already good sustainability efforts in some Pitt units, she says, “there are other areas where it isn’t at the forefront of what they do.” She hopes the committee’s work will prompt all units “to incorporate sustainability into what they do day-to-day.”

The survey (https://pittsustainabilitysurvey.typeform.com/to/XFqahx), for faculty, staff and students, asks respondents to describe their general ideas about sustainability, where they see it on campus and how they are involved in such efforts. It also gauges awareness of Pitt sustainability groups, what the most important sustainability issues are for Pitt, suggestions for future Pitt actions and which efforts respondents are most likely to join in.

The survey is part of the sustainability committee’s effort to create a University-wide vision for Pitt. It plans to publish its report by the fall.

Zullo says the sustainability committee, which began meeting last October, has representatives from most of the major Pitt units, including transportation and food service. “The big operations areas — these are the areas you typically look at when you’re thinking about sustainability efforts,” she said, since such efforts can make a big impact on their resource use.

The committee has hired BuroHappold Engineering as consultants to help write a sustainability plan, and are in the process of gathering information about Pitt efforts and benchmarking them against other universities’ activities. The report will suggest both measurable goals and broader, longer-term ambitions for the University’s sustainability efforts, Zullo says.

Alongside the online version, survey takers armed with iPads will be seeking answers across the Oakland campus. Participants will be eligible for a drawing for University Store giveaways.