Sustainability Literacy, What We Know
By Ryan Treible with the Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub
At a recent Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) meeting, various sustainability groups, clubs and sustainability advocates gathered to discuss student perceptions of sustainability, and strategies to enhance visibility. On the agenda was a presentation from the Climate Justice and Sustainability Hub (the Hub) unveiling the results from the first ever Sustainability Literacy and Cultural Assessment survey.
Conducted at the start of the fall semester, students and members of the Hub hoped the results would shed light onto the values, attitudes, and beliefs of the Northeastern student body.
Amit Shenoy, co-president of the SSC, was eager to put these findings into action. “The Hub collected a lot of incredible data here. By filtering the data to specific demographics, we can see trends that are really impactful and target our marketing so it’s also more impactful for students as well.”
One of the most significant findings was the disconnect between students’ personal commitment to sustainability and their perceptions of peer engagement. While 73% of students consider sustainability important in their daily lives, less than half of students believe their peers share the same commitment.
The Hub sees this as an opportunity to amplify student engagement and broaden their communication efforts. Megan Curtis-Murphy, Director of Campus Sustainability and Engagement stated that, “With over 90% of students seeing sustainability playing a role in their future careers, it is clearly important to our student body. It is now our job to make sustainability more visible across campus and find ways to get the word out about what is happening, like our Climate Justice Action Plan and the upcoming Sustainability Innovation Week.”
But if so many students care, then why is participation lagging? To break what some call the “sustainability bubble,” students need to see how sustainability connects to their own fields of study and daily lives. As first-year Mitchel Corteguera emphasized, “An idea I had is to get a few passionate individuals from every sort of college and major…and create integrative events, working with those majors to advance sustainability where it’s relevant in their lives.”
Comments like these echoed throughout the meeting, as students brainstormed actionable ways to improve awareness and engagement. Suggestions ranged from incorporating sustainability modules into new student orientation to working with academic departments to offer major-specific courses focused on environmental challenges.
The survey also identified other key challenges in raising awareness about sustainability initiatives. Even large-scale efforts, like Northeastern’s beehives, often go unnoticed. This poses a challenge for major campaigns like Reduce, Reuse, ReNU, Northeastern’s plastics reduction campaign. Phase one was recently completed, focused on limiting the use of plastic water bottles, and by all accounts it has been a resounding success. In the survey, 85% of students reported they always or often bring their own water bottles and reusable shopping bags.
However, there is still room for improvement. Only 62% said they avoid single-use cutlery and straws. Phase 2 of the plastics reduction campaign, which the Hub recently unveiled, encourages students to take the pledge, in return for their own set of reusable bamboo cutlery and straws.
Looking ahead, the SSC sees Sustainability Innovation Week in March as a pivotal opportunity to engage a broader audience in these sustainability efforts. With lectures, events, and competitions focused on finding innovative climate solutions, students will be able to learn, collaborate, develop, and ultimately share their ideas to advance sustainability on campus.
Through the continued efforts of students, faculty, and staff, the goal is to make sustainability not just a priority, but an integral part of Northeastern’s culture.
Written by Ryan Treible, February 25th, 2025
Photos by Mahira Singh