The 2024 Sustainability Action Plan represents a more holistic approach to addressing climate change and the environment, economic justice, and social equity in an integrated, interconnected way.
We invite all members of the Temple community to provide feedback on the proposed structure and strategic emphases as well as offer ideas, ask questions, and share their vision for a sustainable Temple.
Make your voice heard by filling out the Feedback Form and stopping by this month’s events!
Feedback Form
Join us in shaping a sustainable Temple
We encourage you to share ideas, questions, or your personal vision for a sustainable Temple. Help us fulfill our institutional climate commitment through your feedback.
Let’s face it, while many of us are very aware of the immense threat posed by climate change, for some, it can feel like this distant, poorly defined phenomenon without clear connections to everyday life. Scientists can point to lower artic sea ice coverage or increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but without making these findings accessible and connecting them back to the issues people face every day, it’s hard to mobilize them to act. That’s exactly why, this past Monday, we teamed up with Temple Libraries to host a Climate Communications Workshop that helped students, researchers, and faculty alike explore strategies to maximize their research’s impact.
Dr. Beadling provides an example of how to convey the urgency of climate change by connecting predicted future temperature changes to real human lifespans.
The room was lively- bringing students and faculty from a wide range of disciplines together – eager to share ideas and learn from our guest speakers. Temple professor Dr. Becki Beadling (Department of Earth and Environmental Science) kicked us off – drawing on her experiences communicating her research on the ocean’s role in climate change to highlight four key ways scholars can use their findings to encourage action by establishing trust, informing and educating, conveying urgency, and providing actionable steps.
Dr. Zachary M. Labe shares an example of a compelling climate data graphic from fellow researcher Ed Hawkins. To see more examples of Dr. Labe’s data visualizations, follow him on X.
These science communications goals are a great place to start, but what do they look like in practice? We were lucky to welcome NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab Post-doctoral researcher Zachary Labe as a keynote speaker to demonstrate how he uses clear graphics to turn data on arctic temperature change into compelling stories. One key element of his approach is to leverage social media to compete with the speed of media coverage by providing daily, accurate, and legible climate data to a diverse audience. These stories resonate on a personal level and represent the importance of bringing people into the science journey.
“To me, it’s all about telling stories.”
Dr. Zachary M. Labe
During the first workshop exercise participants got the chance to draft and practice “elevator pitches” for their research. They teamed up with their fellow climate scholars and advocates to share what they do and why it matters. This not only helped them practice Dr. Beadling and Dr. Labe’s techniques but strengthened Temple’s climate community by facilitating collaboration and knowledge-sharing across disciplines.
Students and faculty used the techniques from Dr. Beadling and Dr. Labe to begin drafting elevator pitches for their work.
At first, participants struggled to narrow down their pitches. This led to the question: who are you trying to reach? This is where Temple professor Dr. Meghnaa Tallapragada (Department of Advertising and Public Relations) used specific examples from her research in strategic science communications to emphasize the importance of defining your audience and tailoring your approach to touch on their lived experiences. For example, you would approach an acquaintance you met a party who doesn’t believe in climate change much differently than a highschooler who is interested in studying climate science.
Dr. Tallapragada provided participants with strategies for overcoming common challenges in translating their research with key takeaways from the latest science communications research.
“You have to ground [your research] in a context that matters for people.”
Dr. Meghnaa Tallapragada
Using specific strategies from Dr. Tallapragada’s examples, workshop participants refined their pitches to target those two aforementioned groups specifically. Two strategies that participants seemed to find most helpful were connecting their research back to relevant examples from their audience’s everyday lives and ending their pitches with a call to action – emphasizing the threat of their issue but building efficacy instead of fear.
Students and faculty refined their pitches to target specific audiences based on Dr. Tallapragada’s strategies and feedback from their peers.
“Including a solution gives people hope.”
Livia Haines, Fox ’25
In the end, participants gained not only the tools to amplify the positive impact of their research but forged new connections with fellow climate scholars and advocates – providing lasting opportunities to foster climate action on campus and beyond. None of this would have been possible without the illuminating contributions from guest speakers Dr. Beadling, Dr. Labe, and Dr. Tallapragada alongside the organizational efforts of Temple Libraries Staff Nancy B. Turner and Ella Lathan and the support of Dean Joe Lucia.
“This series is a prime example of how we can further integrate Charles Library as a hub for learning, creativity, collaboration.”
Joe Lucia, Dean of Temple Libraries
A Time to Act: Responses to Climate Change within and Beyond the University
This event was the second in our ongoing series with Temple Libraries designed to foster a more sustainable and environmentally equitable university campus and community. Follow the link below to learn more about and register upcoming events in this series.
Check the calendar below to see all of the events occurring both on and off campus this Earth Month. Click the links to sign up for events and join the movement toward a healthier, happier planet.
Explore how student, faculty, and community initiatives to promote combined human and environmental well-being empower Temple’s journey to a more collective, equitable, and sustainable future.
What does Environmental Wellness look like?
Promoting environmental wellness is a crucial part of the Office of Sustainability’s goal, as established in the 2019 Climate Action Plan, to create a more inclusive and permeating sustainable culture on campus. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Environmental Wellness Dimension involves being able to be safe and feel safe. This can include accessing clean air, food, and water; preserving the areas where we live, learn, and work; occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support our well-being; and promoting learning, contemplation, and relaxation in natural places and spaces.
To pursue this goal, The Office and key partners at Temple Ambler, Student Activities, and the Wellness Resource Center have developed several student-focused programs, academic and community engagement initiatives.
The Ambler Campus provides opportunities for Temple and greater community members alike to develop a healthy relationship with nature through various educational programs and activities. The Ambler Arboretum’s membership in the Campus Nature Rx Network – a network of 70 colleges and universities dedicated to supporting campus mental and physical health through inclusive and equitable nature engagement teaching, research, and outreach – exemplifies their innovative leadership in promoting environmental wellness.
During Temple’s October 2022 Wellness Day, the Ambler Campus hosted a diverse range of programming including yoga in the gardens, guided mindfulness activities, self-guided nature scavenger hunts, a succulent planting workshop, and a facilitated experience on the challenge course to promote student wellbeing through environmental engagement.
Ambler Campus’ Recreation, Outdoor Education, and Wellness (ROW) department draws upon the growing body of research suggesting a connection between outdoor activity and increased positive mental health outcomes to provide outdoor recreation education for students and community members alike.
One such initiative is the ROW program’s collaboration with the Philadelphia Outward Bound School (POBS) to provide training opportunities for volunteer trip leaders – expanding access to outdoor leadership opportunities for Philadelphia youth.
Climate Cafes are unique therapeutic models for individuals experiencing climate grief or eco-anxiety that create an informal, open, respectful, and confidential space to safely share emotional responses and reactions to the climate emergency.
During these sessions, EcoReps from the Office of Sustainability, trained to facilitate climate cafes by the North American Climate Psychology Alliance, guided over 50 students of all different majors to come together to share intimate feelings of grief, anxiety, guilt and helplessness – enabling deep connection and dialogue amongst like-minded peer facilitators.
By sharing their diverse perspectives and approaches to interacting with climate and the environment, students created an interdisciplinary and holistic experience where peers learn from each other, coming together to work through and process shared climate grief intellectually, cognitively and emotionally.
Join the Wellness Resource Center and Student Activities on Tuesday, March 19 from 1-3 pm in the HGSC room 200 for their bi-annual Self Care Fair. Students will get the chance to find community and learn skills and strategies for a joyful life by connecting with campus resources and partaking in mindfulness activities.
Celebrate Arbor Day on April 26 at Ambler Campus alongside Temple community members and the public with a dynamic mix of interactive performances and experiential activities that promote self-care, community care, and planetary wellness like a Recreational Therapy conference, the Ambler Arboretum’s launching of an Art in Nature application, and the Ambler Research Symposium, Follow @templeambler on Instagram for updates on the event.
Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.
– Pedro Calderón de la Barca
As the weather warms up and the days become longer, the start of the spring season offers a perfect opportunity to embrace sustainable living. This March, Temple University’s Office of Sustainability presents a bouquet of eco-conscious events, blooming with the essence of renewal and environmental stewardship.
Let’s make this March a season of blossoming, appreciation, and eco-friendly choices. Together, we can plant the seeds of change and nurture a more sustainable and vibrant world.
Check the calendar below to see all of the events occurring both on and off campus this November. Click the links to sign up for events and join the movement toward a healthier, happier planet.
Explore how the collective actions of Temple students, faculty, staff, and administration continue to propel us forward toward a brighter, more sustainable future.
“As the university enters a critical time of transition and concludes the Boundless Temple campus development planning process, we are hopeful that the integration of sustainable practices and policy will continue to propel this institution forward.”
Ken Kaiser, Chief Operating Officer, and Gregory N. Mandel, Senior Vice President & Provost
Temple’s campus development planning effort integrates Flying Further, the institutional strategic plan and the Verdant Temple landscape master plan, for a cohesive, sustainable vision of its future.
Temple is well on its way to a carbon neutral future.
Since 2006, Temple has reduced gross emissions by 33% even while increasing the physical space of the university by more than 36%. The reductions are a result of increased efficiency in operations, investments in new carbon reduction technology, renewable energy sourcing, and a culture of climate leadership.
After 5 years of providing students with non-perishable food and personal hygiene items, the pantry was renamed in honor of a donation from Temple alum Christopher M Barnett and his business partner Nathan Irvine. Increasing visitorship by 73% between AY 2021 and AY 2022 and beginning to offer unlimited fresh produce in Spring 2023, The Barnett Irvine Cherry Pantry continues to grow beyond achieving Temple’s goal of addressing food insecurity on campus by 2019.
Climate in the Classroom
The Office of Sustainability supports students, faculty, researchers, and entrepreneurs in tackling today’s most pressing environmental issues by incorporating sustainability-related topics into curriculums, research, and projects. In Spring 2023, representatives from 20 of the 80 departments and programs currently offering sustainability-related courses gathered to highlight the importance of teaching and learning about the climate crisis.
Minimizing Waste: Give + Go Green and Temple Thrift Develop Circular Systems on Campus
This year, Temple exceeded its waste minimization goals to achieve a 55% diversion rate and a 54% core recycling rate. These efforts are bolstered by on-campus initiatives like Give + Go Green and Temple Thrift that promote circularity and equity. In May 2023, over 70 student and staff volunteers helped sort through 5,905 total pounds of donations. Of this, 1,326 pounds were nonperishable food items that were boxed and brought directly to the Cherry Pantry. The remaining 4,579 pounds of donations consisted of textiles and clothing that was packaged for sale at Temple Thrift on campus.
Greening our commutes: Insights from the Transportation Culture Survey
In 2022, the Office of Sustainability expanded the regularly administered Transportation Survey to also include questions about sustainability culture on campus. The Temple University Transportation and Sustainability Culture Survey Report captures students, staff and faculty’s perceptions, beliefs and behaviors related to sustainability and climate change in addition to typical data related to commute modes and associated emissions.
The survey found that 67% of students, faculty, and staff currently use sustainable modes of transportation in their commutes. To encourage further participation in these modes, the University offers Green Your Commute resources such as the student discount SEPTA University Pass and pre-tax commuter benefits for employees via WageWorks.
The Office of Sustainability is launching our LinkedIn page to foster a community where students, faculty, and alumni can share their commitments to sustainable initiatives at Temple and beyond. Join today to stay up to build your climate action community.
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” – Robert Swan
Temple University’s Office of Sustainability is thrilled to present our February events and this year’s Campus Race to Zero Waste campaign. Join us in sowing the seeds of change and nurturing a more eco-friendly campus.
Campus Race to Zero Waste is a sustainability competition in which Temple University goes head-to-head against schools across the country to see who can divert the most waste from landfills.
Want to get started? Take the Campus Race to Zero Waste pledge and check out the calendar below to discover the array of events happening on and off campus this February. Click the links to RSVP and become a part of the movement toward a circular economy!
B.S. Community Development, currently pursuing M.S. City and Regional Planning
What is a walk audit? Why is it important?
Walk Audits are often the principal step in planning for the built environment. Whether it be transportation and safety planning, as this Fall’s walk audit was focused on, or architecture, landscape design, land use planning, commercial development, and others, walk audits are necessary as the initial research collection in each discipline.
Visiting a site and getting boots on the ground is fundamental in understanding the geographic context and day-to-day functionality of the location in which we are planning or designing. More than simple site observations, walk audits involve a detailed set of research questions and objectives for auditors to look for upon visitation. The audit involves an overarching goal by which the research questions are formed to determine the site’s performance through qualitative and quantitative data that is measurable and comparable. So much of what we experience in the built environment is hard to put into words; it can be simplified to everyday life and the routine movement of people through space. Yet, it is design which enables or disables these routine activities to happen. Walk audits serve to identify how the physicality of a location serves the people who occupy it, and what can be done to improve the user experience.
How did this experience build on what you learned in the classroom or relate to your professional work and career goals, especially as a graduate student and future practitioner?
A good deal of in-class content involves the theoretical aspects of the discipline. In planning, we consider the history of planning movements and the dominant theories that guided city planning practice over the centuries. This helps to explain how the built environment we see today came to exist. We also consider the politics and inter-agency partnerships that are necessary to get stuff done. The walk audit is not theoretical. Participating in the walk audit translated learned theoretical concepts into a real-life planning process. We were able to experience the necessary inter-organizational collaboration as community groups and sustainability advocates cooperated together to collect data and draft actionable recommendations for improving safety on a high-injury corridor. Having the knowledge of how planning works is not quite the same as experiencing planning in action. The walk audit provided invaluable real-world experience that added a layer of depth upon the classroom content. As every planning process is unique to itself with its own objectives and constraints, this concrete experience bolsters a student’s ability to think critically on each project and select the best tools to utilize for any given project.
In my professional work, I serve as a project assistant for a community engagement consulting firm based here in Philadelphia. We see a lot of transportation, streets, and public safety-related projects where communities are seeking support in conducting community engagement to create actionable changes ranging from small scale and temporary to larger scale and more permanent. This semester’s walk audit leveraged Temple students to conduct the site observations and data collection, but community groups and planners can involve regular community members in walk audits as well. For community members, walk audits are a way for folks to gain a deeper understanding of how their community works well, and what doesn’t, along with meaningful ideation on ways to make it better. Walk audits are a fantastic community engagement activity that not only propels the project toward action, but also builds a stronger community bond among residents.
Why is effective community engagement and community engaged, action-research in urban planning an important skill in planning climate-just and resilient cities?
As understood in history, planners and political decision-makers have not always consulted community members regarding impactful proposals and projects in their communities. Instead, they have made decisions on the community’s behalf; many times, miscalculations inflict inequities on those very communities, even when the planners’ intentions were good. Learning from the mistakes of past planners, the next generation of planners are identifying ways to increase community engagement for the sake of better planning.
Students collected hands-on data together with a local community group to gain insight into possible improvements to local transportation and pedestrian safety.
Community members know their neighborhoods better than any planner ever could on their own. They have insights about the nitty-gritty details that if left undiscovered could derail a well-designed and well-funded project. Intentional, thoughtful, inclusive, and effective community engagement invites community members to share their knowledge and inform the planning process. For planners, community members offer a breadth of information. They know where and when flooding occurs, and the routes the water will take. When planning a green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) project, the planners may have this available through data too. What they may not know is anything particularly unusual or unique that may be hidden. This is where community members come in; they are likely to know the oddities that happen respective to their specific geography. Planners ought to recognize community members for their valuable insights and include them in the planning process for their community. Without them, planners may miss out on critical details that could decrease the overall effectiveness of any given project.
What was it like working directly with a community organization? What did you take away from this collaborative initiative?
It was truly a pleasure to work with the West Mount Airy Neighbors Association (WMAN) for this semester’s walk audit. Their organization welcomed us students with open arms and helped guide our research and site observations towards achieving a shared, desired outcome. Understanding that our efforts helped their organization move one step closer toward safer streets for everyone in their neighborhood is why I am so passionate about community planning. The WMAN’s level of commitment to their neighborhood exemplifies one way for regular community members to participate in improving the physical environment of where they live. In unity, there is strength. When we come together, each with our different skillsets and backgrounds, we can make things happen. The success of this walk audit has encouraged me to increase my personal involvement within the registered community organization (RCO) in West Poplar (my neighborhood). I plan on attending as many of our community meetings as possible and contribute what I can toward the betterment of our neighborhood.
Of all the seasons, autumn offers the most to man and requires the least of him.
-Hal Borland
As the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter, there has never been a better time to make a sustainable change. This November, Temple University’s Office of Sustainability offers a cornucopia of eco-conscious events that celebrate the spirit of sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Let’s make this November a season of growth, gratitude, and green living. Together, we can sow the seeds of change and cultivate a more sustainable and harmonious world.
Check the calendar below to see all of the events occurring both on and off campus this October. Click the links to sign up for events and join the movement toward a healthier, happier planet.
After an eleven year battle between climate activists and administration members, New York University has finalized its decision to divest from fossil fuels and move towards a more sustainable future for their campus. The push for this change was led by NYU students, faculty, and staff that campaigned under the Sunrise Movement NYU chapter. Founded in 2017, Sunrise Movement is a national non-profit organization designed to help youth push back against climate change and end the “corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics”.
Group of Sunrise NYU members on the street in NYC
NYU’s commitment to divesting from fossil fuels originally began in August, with a letter delivered to student activists by university president William R. Berkely. The letter stated that “New York University commits to avoid any direct investments in any company whose primary business is the exploration or extraction of fossil fuels, including all forms of coal, oil, and natural gas, and not to renew or seek out any dedicated private funds whose primary aim is to invest in the exploration or extraction of fossil fuels”. According to NYU spokesperson Joseph Tirella, this commitment will be applied to the top 200 coal, oil, and gas providing companies—which are derived from a list managed by Fossil Free Indexes. Outside of divestment, NYU has also made improvements by reducing emissions from energy use in buildings, and has pledged to have net-zero emissions by 2040.
So what is fossil fuel divestment? Why is it so important?
2021 global fossil fuel investment data via Energy Policy Tracker
Despite the rising cost of tuition, student housing, and service fees, many universities are unable to meet all of their needs from student funding. To create capital, many universities choose to invest billions of dollars in outside companies, including those that produce or rely heavily on fossil fuels. The money given back to the university through investment (as well as the money from donors) is known as an endowment. This funding is used to create more investments, or in some cases used to fund specific scholarships. Divestment is a push for universities to end their investment in fossil fuel companies and put their endowment towards green energy infrastructure or other sustainable investment opportunities. It can also mean ending sponsorships provided by companies with high greenhouse gas emissions, or ending contracts with services that create environmental waste.
NYU, a private university, currently has an endowment of $5 billion. In 2014, NYU had $139 million (4% of its then $3.4 billion endowment) invested in coal, oil, and gas. In 2016, NYU had the opportunity to divest, but chose not to after arguing that divestment does not reduce money going towards fossil fuel companies but rather “transfers ownership of stock from one holder to another”, among other things. Had NYU kept 4% of their endowment invested in fossil fuels, their current investment would be $200 million. This was a huge victory in the battle against climate change, and a much needed example of students having a say in the actions of their university.
Temple University and Fossil Fuel Divestment
Temple University Climate Action Goals via Office of Sustainability
Temple University is a public research university, and is not obligated to disclose its financial investments. However, investment in fossil fuel companies seems to be the norm amongst American universities, and without a clear divestment statement it is fair to assume some of Temple University’s $778 million endowment (as of 2022) comes from companies similar to those that NYU has supported in the past. Temple has many sustainability efforts in progress, such as adding sustainability focused curricula and reducing energy consumption, but many Temple community members feel that these efforts are not enough without a promise of divestment.
The Sunrise Movement is present in Philadelphia, and has contributed to local green policy change through protests, teach-ins, voter education sessions, and more. Temple also has an unaffiliated, but highly dedicated group known as Temple Climate Action, a collection of students, staff, and faculty members dedicated to the fight against climate change. The principal goals of the organization are to divest from fossil fuels, encourage transparency and accountability from Temple’s administration, and advocate for the care of our planet.
As we saw from the participation of graduate and undergraduate students alike in the TUGSA Strike of Spring 2023, Temple scholars are fearless and more than willing to stand up for what they believe is right. With hope, the combination of student voices and divestment in other institutions will give Temple University the push it needs to play a part in ending the power of the fossil fuel industry and bringing us one step closer to a sustainable future.
