April 2024

"[M]ost environmental sustainability work is not done by formal ‘sustainability professionals'...It’s done by everyday professionals who identify ways to integrate a holistic, sustainability mindset into what they do."

3rd Annual Sustainability Summit

By Nick Gledhill, April 16, 2024

The Utah Valley University (UVU) Sustainability Summit brought together thought leaders and experts in fields of water, transportation, engineering, ethics, business, and government to address challenges and solutions currently facing environmental consciousness and global sustainability on April 9 in the UVU Clarke Building.

The Summit featured four major panels that discussed topics ranging from Government and Sustainability, The Great Salt Lake, Faith and World View and Sustainability, and Business and Sustainability. The multi-faceted approaches to sustainability gave attendees

“The theme that stood out to me at this year’s Summit was how most environmental sustainability work is not done by formal ‘sustainability professionals,’” UVU Sustainability Outreach Program Manager Sarah Bateman said. “It’s done by everyday professionals who identify ways to integrate a holistic, sustainability mindset into what they do. For UVU students preparing for the workforce, increased sustainability literacy will improve their ability to contribute higher quality, more meaningful work, no matter the chosen industry or field of study. This year’s panels were rich in thought-provoking discussions about how we can invest in a healthy environment that improves not only the quality of our physical surroundings, but of our social connections, key to building healthy societies.”

Following the panelists discussions, attendees went on a campus sustainability tour, which explored the university’s Orem campus and the efforts it makes towards sustainability, including transportation/air quality, the campus garden, CARE Hub, Outdoor Adventure Center, recycling, campus Irrigation, and the campus geothermal plant.