Johnson says that a sustainability assessment committee will be formed over the next several months. The committee will include interested individuals, employees from the physical plant department, and Aramark, the company that provides the school’s food service.
The assessment will include an analysis of the school’s “carbon footprint” as well as needs to convert departments to better practices. The committee also will establish benchmarks and goals for the school to achieve in areas that include its recycling program and the use of renewable energy resources.
The OS will sponsor activities and events for members of the campus community to learn about, discuss and promote sustainability. Such activities could include the development of a “green team,” environmental cleanup events, and light bulb replacement drives.
Developing the OS will take time, Johnson says, because he already is splitting his full-time schedule between University Ministries and campus development. Still, he looks forward to developing its mission over time.
He proposed the idea for the OS because of his interest in sustainability. “I think there is a lot of interest in environmental and sustainability issues in the church,” he adds.
“Both our Christian values and Covenant heritage call us to embrace and care for creation,” reads a statement issued by Carl Balsam, the university’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. “As part of an educational institution, we are responsible not only to teach about these issues and virtues, but to live out our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship through the current operations and future decisions of the school.”
