Sustainability

At WFAA, we care about the environment, sustainability, and the future of our planet. We are committed to encouraging behaviors and business practices that help decrease our organization’s overall carbon footprint. In recent years, we have taken the following steps:

• Committing to the purchase, use, and disposal of products and materials in a manner that will best conserve natural resources and minimize negative impacts on the environment.
• Creating incentives to encourage employees to limit daily vehicle commutes through busing, biking and carpooling — as well as remote work options.
• Investing in significant upgrades to make our mechanical systems more energy efficient, including boilers, water heaters, humidifiers, air conditioning chillers, lighting, and other facility components —leading to a nearly 50% reduction in gas and electric use in 2020.
• Reconfiguring our temperature and lighting levels to reduce energy consumption.

We are committed to sustainability, and will continue to evaluate opportunities to reduce our environmental impact.

WFAA has also supported campus in securing more than $60 million for important environmental initiatives, including:

• Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
• John P. Holton Chair for Health and the Global Environment Fund
• Arboretum/Friends of the Arboretum Endowment Funds
• Wayland E. Noland Distinguished Chair in Limnology Fund

These generous gifts fit squarely within our mission to promote the welfare and advance the objectives of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.