Ohio University’s Office of Sustainability and the Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee (EECC) has released the first of its annual Sustainability Progress Reports. The FY 12 Sustainability Plan Report outlines the progress made toward each of the Sustainability Plan’s 35 Benchmarks and identifies the next steps for the University’s future sustainable efforts.

“While we’re very proud of our University’s efforts and successes in just one short year, we want to stress that this is a long-term plan,” Director of Sustainability Annie Laurie Cadmus said. “So, we certainly didn’t expect progress levels on each benchmark to reach completion this year. But, the report clearly shows us that we need additional support from all students, faculty and staff if we wish to gain even more momentum in our efforts.”

The full Sustainability Report can be viewed at http://issuu.com/sustainableou/docs/fy12sustainabilityreport?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222.

Former Office of Sustainability Graduate Assistant Jessica Bilecki stressed that the implementation and reporting responsibilities of this plan fall into the hands of each individual of the campus, suggesting that success is dependent upon individuals committing to a cultural shift.

“The sustainability report is essentially a compilation of all OU sustainability efforts ranging from operations to education,” said Bilecki. “It illustrates the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability and demonstrates that every member of the campus community has a role to play. If anyone feels their efforts were not acknowledged or wishes to become more involved in sustainability efforts specific to their area of expertise, they can contact the Office of Sustainability.”

The actual reporting process is subject to change annually dependent upon campus and community feedback on the format. Feedback can be emailed to sustainability@ohio.edu.

The Ohio University Sustainability Plan is a 35-point plan aimed at improving the institution’s sustainability profile. The document was formally adopted by Ohio University in summer 2011. Implementation planning began shortly after adoption and involved the Office of Sustainability staff, members of EECC and many departments across campus. It is anticipated that annual reports for the Sustainability Plan will be made available in the fall semester of each academic year beginning in 2013.