Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future
Environmentally Conscious Organization (ECO) Committee
The purpose of the ECO committee is to engage the UHCL community to take action to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly university. A key component of UHCL's strategic plan is sustainability. Sustainability is about considering the social, economic, and environmental impacts of our actions. At UHCL, we want sustainability to take a long-term view to make a difference in our world for generations to come. The ECO committee will find ways to reduce our carbon footprint through affordable and innovative practices. This committee functions to bring student, faculty, and staff representatives together to enhance sustainability on campus as well as engaging in outreach to raise community awareness. This committee aims to identify UHCL sustainability goals and objectives; make plans and gather the support and tools to meet these goals; and measure the success of meeting these goals. The mission of this committee is to cultivate a culture of sustainability at UHCL by increasing awareness of current environmental issues, sponsoring initiatives, and inspiring engagement of UHCL community members in environmentally friendly behaviors to preserve resources and reduce environmental impact, both on and off campus. These behaviors include increased recycling, decreased waste, reduced campus carbon footprint, reduced carbon emissions, and increased energy efficiency.
The ECO Committee is dedicated to ensuring the University of Houston-Clear Lake's mission is to promote innovative solutions and sustainable outcomes to global challenges through a multi-disciplinary approach bringing social, economic, environmental, and educational perspectives to the forefront.
The Four Dimensions of Sustainability
Social
Creates diverse, equitable, and inclusive societies that enable access, support wellness, improve quality of life, and increase citizen engagement.
Economic
Builds and supports long-term economic growth that optimizes resources, improves productivity, and increases efficiencies without negatively impacting the other dimensions.
Environmental
Protects, restores, and promotes ecosystems that prevent or mitigate vulnerabilities and harmful impacts to environmental resilience.
Educational
Enhances the sharing and development of knowledge and experiences that support the other dimensions and creates a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and innovation.
Impact
The goal is to achieve positive outcomes that benefit the health of both the Earth and the people who inhabit it.
Multidisciplinary Capacity
The ECO committee brings scholars together to work on a variety of projects and technological innovations in order to discover new approaches and solutions to issues related to sustainability.
Problem-Solving Culture
The ECO committee seeks to discover new solutions through the practical application of well-researched concepts.
Discovery and Innovation
The ECO committee promotes creative thinking and the usage of newly discovered knowledge to address both emerging and previously existing challenges.
Teaching and Experiential Learning
The ECO committee invests in the future by providing opportunities for project-based and experiential learning to tomorrow's leaders and agents of change.
Community Engagement and Outreach
The ECO committee crafts solutions that promote social equity, ensuring widespread enjoyment of the institute's benefits for everyone.