Showing How Sustainability Saves Money and Builds Collaboration

Learn how 35 Tulsa area business, colleges and non-profits have saved $2.5 million in two years, walk through the steps to complete a waste audit for your organization or learn how to create a culture of energy conservation. These are a few concepts you will explore at Tulsa Community College’s 5th annual Sustainability Conference.

The theme for this year is partnerships in higher education as six colleges and universities share what has worked and guide others with best practices in sustainability. College students, faculty and staff from Oklahoma State University, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa Community College, University of Central Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, and The University of Tulsa will take part in the day-long workshop.

One of the conference goals is to highlight how the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals - as captured by the Five P’s - People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace and Justice, and Partnerships - are interconnected and inform curriculum, operations, student life, and community engagement at higher education institutions. The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future and part of a 2030 agenda.

“Over the years, sustainability has been linked to the triple bottom line: social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and economic prosperity. Now we add developing inclusive societies with strong institutions and the building of partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society to the conversation to arrive at common sustainability goals for the near future,” said Mike Limas, one of the conference organizers.

Meghan Fay Zahniser, the keynote speaker, will discuss the role of higher education in advancing sustainability. She is Executive Director of Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

The conference, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 is free and open to the public. The event will take place at the Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity on the TCC Metro Campus, located at 910 S. Boston Avenue in downtown Tulsa. Registration is not necessary but is encouraged. Lunch is not provided so individuals are responsible for their own meal. Lunch options are available for purchase in advance of the conference.