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Howard University Office of Sustainability

Building a Sustainable Howard for Generations to Come

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Sustainability at HU

The Office of Sustainability advances Howard University's commitment to environmental stewardship, climate resilience, and sustainable operations. Our work brings together sustainable buildings and clean water systems, thriving green spaces and responsible waste management, mobility and food justice, education and climate resilience, all in service of five guiding commitments: growing stronger communities, reviving our environments, encouraging stewardship, empowering innovation, and advancing toward a net-zero future. Together, these efforts unite students, faculty, staff, and community partners in building a more sustainable, resilient Howard for generations to come.

Wangari Maathai

We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all.

BisonGREEN

BisonGreen is Howard University's sustainability initiative, uniting students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding DC community to build a more resilient, environmentally responsible campus. Guided by five pillars: growing stronger communities, reviving our environments, encouraging stewardship, empowering innovation, and advancing toward a net-zero future, our work spans everything from green infrastructure and clean energy to food justice and climate education. Together, we're building a sustainable Howard for generations to come.

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Our G.R.E.E.N. Framework

Image of student holding a growing plant with its roots placed inside of a water bottle

Growing Communities

Working together to create healthier, stronger, and more resilient campus and neighborhood spaces.
Aerial Image of Howard University Campus

Restoring Environments

Protecting natural resources and caring for the spaces we share across Howard's campus and the DC community.
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Educating Leaders

Learning continuously, sharing knowledge, and inspiring sustainable action through scholarship and service.
Solar panels

Empowering Innovation

Advancing research, embracing creativity, and developing solutions that build a more resilient future.
panoramic view of Howard University

Net-Zero Future

Making responsible choices that reduce our environmental impact - targeting measurable carbon reduction by 2030.

Become A BisonGREEN Ambassador

The BisonGreen Ambassador Program places Howard students in hands-on sustainability roles with our DC community partner organizations, connecting classroom learning to real-world environmental impact. Ambassadors gain practical experience while helping extend BisonGreen's mission beyond campus, into the neighborhoods and communities Howard calls home.

Apply Here
Priorities

Working toward a Howard where sustainability is seamlessly woven into the scholarship, culture, and operations of the university, advancing its social, environmental, and financial excellence and positioning Howard as a leading voice for HBCUs nationally and globally.

George Washington Carver

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.

Explore the Campus Sustainability Map

Navigate Howard's sustainability infrastructure. Find water bottle refill stations, recycling drop-off points, green roofs, EV charging stations, bike racks, and more - all on an interactive GIS map of campus.

Open the Map
Aerial Image of Howard University Campus