Driven by our commitment.
United by goals for a sustainable future.
UNH is a public land-, sea- and space-grant institution that has been dedicated to the public good for over 150 years. UNH is also home to the oldest endowed sustainability program in the country. Sustainability, the collective commitment to human dignity for all people and ecological integrity in all places, is fundamental to the public good and is a core UNH value, woven into all we do.
As we look to the future, we will act with courage to build powerful collaborations that will deepen UNH’s commitment to sustainability and our communities.
Our long-time commitment drives us to bring diverse people and ideas together to make UNH a model sustainable learning community, reaching across and beyond campus to engage state, regional, national, and international partners to advance sustainable solutions, together.
Our Mission
The Sustainability Institute’s mission is to be a catalyst, convener, and champion of sustainability ideas and actions across and beyond the University of New Hampshire. We foster a culture of sustainability that permeates the civic, professional, and personal lives of members of our community. We embrace the notion of a “sustainable learning community”; a community in which everyone learns, and everyone and everything that we do teaches.
Our Work
We work together to advance sustainability across UNH and beyond:
- To engage students in sustainability through academics and experiential opportunities
- To encourage and support all employees to advance sustainability in academics, research, and operations
- To serve as the backbone organization for the New England Municipal Sustainability Network
Sustainability Across UNH
Student Education
& Experiences
We’re top-rated for sustainability and committed to a better future – that’s why you can make positive change during your time at UNH. Explore all the Sustainability Institute offers, including internships, hands-on programs, and volunteering opportunities. We're here to support all students in making impact on campus and in local communities.
Campus
Initiatives
Sustainability is woven into everything we do – from how the campus is operated, to the ways we grow and develop as a community. We support staff and faculty and serve as a resource to advance sustainability in academics, research, and campus operations.
Research
Our faculty and staff lead purpose-driven problem solving that asks deep scientific questions and explores societal needs in collaboration with partners from across disciplines and sectors. Collaborative scholarship is the norm rather than the exception. Explore the research happening at UNH.
Task Forces & Committees
Faculty, staff, and students from across campus serve on critical sustainability-related task forces and committees – collaborating across fields, disciplines, and sectors of society. They work in creative and often unconventional ways. The Sustainability Engagement Council is the overarching coordinator, and ensures that this work is guided by a shared vision.
Learn more about the task forces
Sustainability Institute Team
Dr. Fiona Wilson
Chief Sustainability Officer, UNH
Executive Director, Sustainability Institute
Dr. Wilson is also an affiliate Clinical Associate Professor of Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability at the Peter T. Paul College of Business & Economics. Fiona was previously a founder and Executive Director of UNH’s Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise, now the Changemaker Collaborative, which offers sustainability-related high-impact programs steeped in real-world experiential learning, with a mission to inspire, train and support the next generation of leaders with the confidence and competence to drive sustainable change in their careers.
Read more about Dr. Wilson
Professional Staff
We’re proud to be innovating for a world that works better for all, a prosperous economy, resilient infrastructure, and healthy, thriving ecosystems. Our work does not happen in separate silos, but rather as a unified, university-wide program that advances sustainability through explicitly linking campus operations, community impact, teaching and research.
Sustainability Stories
Learn about the people, programs, events, initiatives, and research behind our commitment to sustainability.
Recent Blog Posts
