Carleton Sustainability, Today and Tomorrow

26 February 2025

Illustrations by Michael Iver Jacobsen | Text by Paul Schmelzer and Lin Su Winton

Carleton’s Sustainable Futures Framework builds upon the College’s long legacy of forward-thinking environmental action with an ambitious slate of new goals. We worked with Dr. Lin Su Winton, director of Carleton’s Quantitative Resource Center, to take a look at where—on campus and beyond—our commitment to sustainability is being realized. Established in 2019, the QRC helps faculty, staff, and students across campus work with numbers.

Zoom in on key parts of the map below or download the full image (2.2 MB PDF).

Illustrated map with images of the arboretum and infographics. The text reads: Carleton Sustainability, Today and Tomorrow, Illustrations by Michael Iver Jacobsen, Text by Paul Schmelzer and Lin Su Winton. Carleton’s Sustainable Futures Framework builds upon the College’s long legacy of forward-thinking environmental action with an ambitious slate of new goals. We worked with Dr. Lin Su Winton, director of Carleton’s Quantitative Resource Center, to take a look at where—on campus and beyond—our commitment to sustainability is being realized. Established in 2019, the QRC helps faculty, staff, and students across campus work with numbers. Cowling Arboretum: 800 acres managed for conservation. That’s roughly the size of Central Park! Carbon Emissions: Down 56 percent since 2008.
Illustrated map with images of the arboretum and infographics. Text is as follows: 200 acres of restored prairie Native prairie grasses have deep root systems that sequester carbon. 23 rare species including 7 species of mussels, Henslow’s sparrow, Rusty patch bumblebee. Carleton’s two wind turbines generate enough electricity to power 40% of campus. 261,032 lbs of waste diverted from landfills by Lighten Up! That’s the weight of nine school buses! Lighten Up! is a campus garage sale with the dual purposes of waste diversion and community support. At the end of each school year, Carleton students donate their unneeded items to Lighten Up!, with proceeds going to local nonprofits totalling 2,637! Local Food Commitment: 0K food purchased locally per year, 20% of food budget spent with suppliers within 150 miles of campus. 5,000 lbs of produce grown for the dining service by the student-run Carleton Farm.
Illustrated map with images of campus. 1st wind turbine on a college campus (1.5 miles east). New Lilac Hill development is built to Passive House standards (an ultra-high-efficiency method that uses a thick building envelope, air-tight construction, and improved ventilation). 600 rooftop solar panels. Projected energy savings of 75% compared to Carleton average. 320 metric tons of food waste diverted from landfills by the Food Recovery Network—the equivalent of burning 741 barrels of oil! 50 percent fewer gas-powered campus vehicles by 2029, zero dollars directly invested in fossil fuels by 2030—that’s campus activism at work!
Illustrated map with images of campus and infographics. Text is as follows: Language and Dining Center: 0.5 oz/person/meal goal for campus beef consumption. (Illustration of a cow with a caption saying "I make up 4% of Carleton food budget but 50% of dining services C02 emissions!") million investment in geothermal network, with 134 geothermal bores under the Bald Spot, 77 geothermal bores under the Mini Bald Spot, and 95 geothermal bores (510 ft long—that’s half the length of the Eiffel Tower!) under Bell Field. Coming in 2026: Geothermal well to heat and cool the renovated Parish House. Also: EV Charging Ports at Laird Stadium and New Passive House Buildings: Multicultural Center and Neil House. What is LEED? (Leed logo appears beside several campus buildings.) The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program certifies building projects for the degree to which they address issues from carbon and energy, to water and indoor environmental quality. Carleton has four LEED-certified building, including the LEED-Platinum Integrated Science Complex.

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