New Haven, CT – Yale Divinity School will implement a new three-year action plan to establish an enduring commitment to ecological health, human wellness, and economic viability through infrastructure upgrades, curriculum changes, and sustainability education.
The YDS Sustainability Action Plan, which has been approved by students, faculty, and the School’s administration, builds on several successful sustainability measures implemented on the Sterling Divinity Quadrangle since 2006. These include reducing waste through robust recycling and composting capacity, and reusable dishware; energy savings in residential buildings through installation of modlets and conservation incentives; a photovoltaic installation; mechanical upgrades; establishing “Nourish New Haven,” a conference on sustainable food systems; landscape improvements; and reducing energy consumption through automated lighting and awareness campaigns.
Dean Gregory E. Sterling has made sustainability a core priority. “One of the greatest challenges facing us is our environment. Paul’s statement that all of creation “has been groaning in labor pains” has never been more keenly felt (Rom 8:22),” writes Sterling. “Our ethical stance towards life and intergenerational ethics require that we make serious efforts to make our world sustainable. Our sustainability plan is only a step, but it is an important one.”
To ensure success, these areas will be overseen by 3 working groups comprised of student, faculty and staff representatives, with responsibility for implementation in six focus areas:
- Institutional Commitment: Establish sustainable resource management practices and educational resources about sustainable living at YDS.
- Curriculum: Support sustainability literacy through coursework and special programs, and foster connections between the classroom and community.
- 2014 Nourish New Haven Conference, in partnership with wider Yale and New Haven communities.
- Seeing Outcomes: Establish clear metrics for measuring success and share outcomes of sustainability reduction goals.
- Community Commitment and Culture: Create a voluntary sustainability pledge; coordinate partnerships between institutional partners, and student organizations.
- Built Environment: Support school efforts to upgrade the Refectory and student housing; add bike racks; increase composting and recycling capacity.
“What excites me is the plan’s collaborative approach to implementing these changes through ongoing teamwork,” said James Jenkins ’15 M.Div., student sustainability coordinator. “Ecological concerns tie into many students’ deep commitments to social justice, and this plan supports more student, faculty, and staff partnerships for addressing environmental concerns in our community.”
The Divinity School plan has been developed in concert with the Yale 2013-2016 Sustainability Strategic Plan, which contains 26 ambitious goals addressing five categories: energy and greenhouse gas emissions, natural and built environment, food and well-being, and sustainability leadership and capacity building.
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