Introduction
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“Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for the coming generations.”
Pope Francis, On Care for Our Common Home – Laudato Si’
Inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’, The Catholic University of America is committed to advancing sustainability across our campus and broader community. As the the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States, founded and sponsored by the bishops of the county with the approval of the Holy See, The Catholic University of America offers a distinctive contribution to the entire nation with an important opportunity to address the national conversation on environmental stewardship within the context of the University’s Catholic mission and identity.
“We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.” US Conference of Catholic Bishops
Our Sustainability Plan released in FY 2021 outlined goals and strategies for reducing our environmental impact and promoting a more sustainable future. Over the past six years, we have established the Office of Campus Sustainability; earned top recognition for sustainability efforts from the U.S. Department of Education, the District of Columbia, and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education; constructed the region’s largest solar array; achieved two LEED building certifications; planted over 500 trees; and engaged hundreds of community members in sustainability initiatives.
The following report highlights our major accomplishments over the past six years and concludes with an overview of the environmental impact of this work.
Leadership and Recognition
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“Over the past few years, we have made considerable progress towards improving the environmental well-being of the campus and the greater community. The conclusion of our first Sustainability Plan is not an ending; it is the launchpad for continued vigilance in the next decade and beyond.”
Debra Nauta-Rodriguez, Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning and Management / University Architect
The Catholic University of America has a legacy of committed and active leadership in sustainability at the local, national, and international levels. At Catholic University we have turned our commitments into actions that are visible across campus, from academics to community engagement to our buildings and grounds, resulting in recognition from a wide variety of organizations focused on sustainability.
Key achievements include:
- Releasing the first Sustainability Plan, 2021.
- Creating the Office of Campus Sustainability, 2021.
- Launching a sustainability website and newsletter and social media accounts, 2021.
- Collaborating with Washington, D.C.-area universities as part of the District of Columbia Mayor’s College and University Sustainability Pledge and the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility’s College and University Roundtable Series, 2021–2026.
- Participating in the D.C. region’s CHEERS working group focused on advancing sustainability education across all campuses in the D.C. region, 2022–2026.
- Collaborating with nine other D.C.-area universities for a Climate Justice Teach-in, 2022.
- Organizing the Climate Change and the Future of Work Conference, 2022.
- Joining the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), 2022.
- Achieving an AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) Silver Certification, 2022–2026.
- Enrolling in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, 2022.
- Joining the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Steering Committee, 2023.
- Earning recognition as a Tree Campus from the Arbor Day Foundation and as a Bronze-Level Bicycle Friendly University from the League of American Bicyclists, 2023.
As a result of our efforts, Catholic University has earned the following recognition for sustainability best practices:
Campus Facilities
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“This West Campus Solar Array project is not just a renewable energy venture; it’s a testament to The Catholic University of America’s dedication to creating a sustainable future for our nation and world.”
Dr. Peter Kilpatrick, University President
Catholic University aims to provide a vibrant, challenging, and uplifting collegiate experience for students and the greater Catholic University community. Over the past six years, the Office of Campus Sustainability — in partnership with the Offices of Facilities Planning and Design Management, Facilities Maintenance and Operations, and Capital Project Management — and others across campus have accomplished a variety of sustainable infrastructure projects.
Key achievements include:
- Completing construction of the West Campus Solar Array, 2024.
- Achieving LEED Gold certification for the Conway School of Nursing, 2024.
- Pursuing WELL certification for the Conway School of Nursing Building, ongoing.
- Achieving LEED Silver certification for Garvey Hall, 2023.
- Installing new stormwater management devices at Garvey Hall, the West Campus Solar Array, the Welcome Plaza, and the Conway School of Nursing Building, 2023–2024.
- Instituting a back-of-house compost program for all food waste generated in the campus kitchens, 2023–2026.
- Introducing battery recycling to campus, 2024–2026.
- Adding over a dozen filtered-water bottle filling stations, 2021–2026.
- Planting over 500 trees across campus, 2021–2026.
- Completing a comprehensive tree survey of campus and tree canopy assessment, 2022 & 2026.
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West Campus Solar Array
Catholic University's West Campus Solar Array is a unique public and private partnership to build the largest community solar facility in the District of Columbia and greater DMV region. The 6 MW array provides locally generated, renewable energy in support of the District's renewable energy goals. It also supports learning and research opportunities for students and creates a healthy local ecosystem. -
The Conway School of Nursing Building
The Conway School of Nursing Building was designed to achieve both LEED Gold (LEED Building Design & Construction v4, Certified Gold, 2024) and WELL certification in alignment with the university's commitment to sustainability, human health, and well-being. Key features of the building include ongoing monitoring of air quality and thermal conditions to maximize occupant health and wellbeing, a focus on lighting and acoustics to support the unique needs and preferences of users, and the selection of biophilic design elements and high-quality furnishings that support indoor air quality and minimize toxins in the built environment.
Community Engagement
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“Whether I’m providing a tour to local elementary students interested in learning about our solar arrays, working with faculty to design class projects focused on sustainability, or collecting hundreds of items for donation during our Move-Out Donation Drive, I am inspired daily by the care that our community has for our environment.”
Gabrielle Choate, Director, Office of Campus Sustainability
Catholic University offers students, staff, and faculty a variety of ways to get involved in sustainability efforts on campus — from academics to student organizations to finding new ways to live a more sustainable life. Over the past six years, the Office of Campus Sustainability has partnered with offices and departments across campus on the following initiatives.
General Sustainability Education
- Conducting 50 sustainability tours of campus for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community, 2021–2026.
- Adding Office of Campus Sustainability information to all staff and faculty orientation sessions, 2022–2026.
- Launching a Student Government Association Environmental Executive Initiative, 2021–2025.
- Advising the student-led Environmental Club, 2021–2026.
- Certifying 10 campus offices during the first-ever Green Office Certification Program for staff and faculty offices on campus, 2023.
- Hosting a twice annual gathering of staff and faculty dedicated to sustainability called the Sustainability Steering Committee, 2022–2026.
Academics
- Instructing three dozen students over four semesters as part of four independent study courses in partnership with the School of Architecture and Planning and the School of Engineering, 2022–2023.
- Facilitating nine classroom collaborations in partnership with the School of Architecture and Allied Arts, the Busch School of Business, and the School of Engineering, Physics, and Computing, 2021–2026.
- Facilitating a monthly Center for Teaching Excellence Connect & Collaborate series to foster conversations with faculty on improving sustainability education, 2022–2025.
Environment
- Hosting four community tree planting events on campus in partnership with Casey Trees and six invasive vine removal events on campus with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 2023–2026.
- Growing over 2,000 pounds of produce in the community garden and donating it to Cardinal Cupboard, the on-campus food pantry, 2021–2026.
- Enhancing the community garden to include a permanent fence, paved walkways, a greenhouse, and raised beds, 2021–2026.
- Establishing a service site with the Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild, 2021–2025.
- Introducing beehives to West Campus in collaboration with the D.C. Beekeepers Alliance, 2024–2026.
Zero Waste
- Recovering over 10,000 pounds of donations, including clothing, bedding, and residence hall room essentials during annual spring and fall Move-Out Donation Drives, 2023–2026.
- Hosting annual Reuse Markets to offer clothing, bedding, and residence hall room essentials to students for free at the start of the fall semester, 2023–2026.
- Opening Cardinal Closet, the free on-campus thrift store, welcoming thousands of patrons and facilitating over 4,400 thrifts and 2,100 donations in the 2025-2026 academic year alone, 2022–2026.
- Hosting two community electronic waste recycling events that collected 5,195 pounds of waste and one community battery recycling event that collected several hundred pounds of batteries, 2023–2026.
- Rescuing over 1,000 pounds of leftover food from campus events through a partnership with Food Rescue US - DC Chapter, 2023–2025.
- Establishing a Free Food Alert program for students, staff, and faculty to donate food left over after events to campus subscribers, 2025–2026.
- Hosting annual campus wide office supply swaps for staff and faculty to reduce waste in campus offices, 2023–2026.
- Hosting five on-campus trash clean-ups in the North Woods and along John McCormack Road, 2022–2026.
- Starting a Recycled Materials Closet in the School of Architecture and Planning to reduce waste at the end of the semester and promote resource sharing and recycling among students, 2023.
- Creating a new listserv for staff to use to swap durable office goods, 2023.
- Donating surplus furniture and supplies to local non-profit organizations, 2022–2026.
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West Campus Solar Array Tour
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Community Garden Volunteer Event -
Bee Hives at the West Campus Solar Array -
Invasive Vine Removal Event with CCAN -
North Woods Clean-Up Volunteer Event -
Community Garden Volunteer Event
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Cardinal Closet
Cardinal Closet is Catholic University’s on-campus free thrift store. The Closet began as a student project when Juliana Walsh, B.A. 2024, wanted to address the issues of waste, fast fashion, and resource insecurity on campus. The Closet opened in Fall 2022 and carries women’s and men’s clothing in all sizes. It includes business, casual, athletic, formal, and maternity clothes, and more, and was an instant success on campus, welcoming over 100 students during its first semester and over a thousand students, staff, and faculty members in the years since. In the 2025/2026 academic year alone, there were 1,200 transactions with over 6,600 items donated and thrifted. -
Community Garden
In Spring 2021, students decided to resurrect the campus community garden. They started with a couple raised garden beds and have since expanded from harvesting a few dozen pounds of produce to hundreds of pounds of produce each year. In 2024, the garden was awarded a grant by the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment and the Chesapeake Bay Trust to install three more raised garden beds, including an ADA accessible raised garden bed, and to provide much needed gardening supplies. The new beds and supplies have dramatically increased the garden’s production capacity and provided opportunities for all community members to volunteer and benefit from time in the garden. -
Move-Out Donation Drive and Reuse Market
At the end of every semester, Catholic University hosts a Move Out Donation Drive. All students are invited to donate any items that they do not want to take home with them over the summer or winter breaks. Starting in 2023, the donation drive has grown significantly over the past four years. In 2026, students filled two 20-foot shipping containers with donated clothing, books and other school supplies, food and personal care items, and room supplies including rugs, chairs, tables, organizational cubes, storage drawers, kitchen supplies, and more.
All items collected during the Move Out Donation Drives are either stored on campus until the start of the following academic year or donated to local organizations. During the first week of classes each fall, the Office of Campus Sustainability hosts a Reuse Market. The goal of the Reuse Market is to offer the donated items back to students to encourage reuse and foster a zero waste mindset. Donations in excess of what we are able to store on campus during the summer are donated to local organizations, including Bread for the City, Community Forklift, Goodwill, and Habitat for Humanity.
Conclusion
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“Catholic identity is not a footnote to the general concept of sustainability but rather imbues every aspect of it.”
Catholic Climate Covenant
Since the initiation of the Sustainability Plan, Catholic University has made impressive strides towards advancing sustainability across our campus and broader community.
While the initial five-year period for the Sustainability Plan has concluded, the Office of Campus Sustainability will continue to make progress to achieve and improve upon the goals outlined in the plan. The next Sustainability Plan will be released in conjunction with the next Campus Master Plan in FY 2027.
Sustainability is a sustained collaborative effort.
Feel free to reach out to us at sustainability@cua.edu and check us out at www.catholic.edu/green.
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Section II: Environmental Impact
Continue reading to explore the environmental impact of our work.