In March AASHE held a weekly discussion series aimed at providing our community with a space to gather, share questions, concerns, and ideas related to the changes with the new U.S. federal administration. The themes that emerged from this series include:
Policy & Advocacy
Members are concerned about restrictive policies and legal actions that could threaten sustainability initiatives. Many are seeking guidance on how to advocate for their work and navigate potential obstacles.
STARS Reporting & Flexibility
Institutions fear that public sustainability reports may expose them to legal and political risk. Members are looking for ways to ensure that their reporting efforts continue to be effective in the current climate.
Community Building & Peer Support
A recurring theme throughout our conversations was the desire for more spaces for collaboration and emotional support. Our community values opportunities to connect with peers facing similar challenges.
Training & Resources
Members are seeking training and resources to help sustainability staff navigate political and legal challenges. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing are crucial to meeting these needs.
Funding & Access
With evolving funding landscapes, members are looking for support in identifying alternative funding sources, securing grants, and accessing affordable programming options.
Strategy / Messaging / Institutional Resilience & Visibility
Our community is seeking updates on policy shifts and institutional responses. Additionally, campuses are working to strategically communicate their sustainability efforts while maintaining progress amidst political challenges.
We are also in the process of evaluating the results from the Impact Survey we shared in March to understand specific challenges our members are facing. In the coming weeks, AASHE staff and board members will be meeting to discuss what we’ve learned from both the discussion series and the survey results. From there, we will identify strategies for continuing to support our community through these challenging times. We will share more about next steps very soon and, in the meantime, remain open to hearing from our members about challenges and ideas at any time. Feel free to reach out to us at info@aashe.org.