Creating an environmentally sustainable campus became an institution-wide effort in 2006 when President Lambert created the Environmental Advisory Council with faculty, staff, and student representation. The Council spent most of the 2006-2007 fiscal year researching environmental sustainability, assessing Elon’s current practices, and identifying additional opportunities to expand the University’s sustainability efforts. The Council identified several campus initiatives already in place that were reducing Elon’s impact on the environment such as recycling, using stormwater for irrigation, and purchasing Energy Star appliances and products. The Council also made several recommendations on ways to make Elon a more sustainable campus, all of which can be found in Elon’s Sustainability Master Plan.
In 2007, Sustainable Environment was added as an institutional priority and this emphasis has continued. Elon hired its first Sustainability Coordinator in May of 2008. Elaine Durr, LEED AP will guide Elon in its effort to become a more sustainable campus.