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Sustainability Commitments

As sojourners in God’s planet, we have the responsibility to steward every square inch of creation. Our commitments in sustainability keep every member of our community aligned towards this goal—from our administration, to our faculty, and students. 

Statement on Sustainability

This statement:

  • Guides Calvin to compassionately care for God’s creation.
  • Challenges our collective community to lead lives of meaning and purpose in relationship to the physical world.
  • Promote healing and reconciliation among creation.

Read the Statement on Sustainability (pdf)

 

Timeline of Sustainability at Calvin

  • 2020 Silver STARS rating achieved. 
  • 2019 Beyond Stewardship, a book edited by David Paul Warners and Matthew Kuperus Heun, is published with the goal of equipping Christians to live better in this world and think more intentionally about our relationship with the creation around us. 
  • 2019 Silver STARS rating achieved. 
  • 2017 President signed the Climate Commitment. 
  • 2017 Calvin earned Silver STARS rating for second year in a row. 
  • 2016 Calvin receives a STARS Silver Rating for sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). 
  • 2014 A second community garden is established on the Knollcrest campus. 
  • 2011 An environmental studies major is established. 
  • 2010 Calvin receives the “Greatest Green Initiative” award from the Business Review in West Michigan for innovation in faculty development and sustainability across the curriculum, among other initiatives. 
  • 2009 Plaster Creek Stewards, a collaboration of faculty, staff, and students working with local schools, churches, and community partners to restore the health and beauty to the area’s most contaminated waterway, is formed. 
  • 2008 Engineering students launch CERF, a green revolving fund, with donations and seed money from the university. 
  • 2007 The board of trustees approves the Statement on Sustainability (pdf), a document produced by the Faculty Environmental Stewardship Coalition. 
  • 2004 The Bunker Interpretive Center is completed. The 5,000-square-foot educational space is the first LEED Gold-certified building in Grand Rapids. 
  • 1997 The Calvin Environmental Assessment Program is started, taking academically based service-learning to another level. 
  • 1990 The student-led Environmental Stewardship Coalition is established with the mission of raising campus consciousness regarding current environmental issues and emphasizing the Christian responsibility of stewardship. 
  • 1985 The Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens is established, and in 2017, expands to comprise 1/4 of the campus. 
  • 1980 Earthkeeping: Christian Stewardship of Natural Resources, a groundbreaking book on creation care, is published. 

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