Greening Princeton

Who We Are

Greening Princeton is an organization of undergraduate and graduate students who primarily work with Princeton University administrators to improve the environmental sustainability of practices on campus.

We have past, ongoing and future projects in energy,dining,purchasing, recycling,construction,outreach, and more. And we are always excited to hear new ideas!

Click here for our contact information and general meeting information (open to anyone interested in getting involved)!

Mission Statement

The mission of Greening Princeton is to promote a healthier relationship between Princeton University and the environment.

We will accomplish this mission by advocating the University's leadership in environmental responsibility by cooperating with all departments, educating and engaging the campus community, as well as recommending and facilitating change.

Goals and Objectives:

• Assess the concerns of the campus community
• Identify and investigate responsible practices in
• Purchasing
• Dining
• Recycling
• Energy
• Construction
• Raise awareness of issues and opportunities for change within Princeton
• Support the mission of the Princeton Environmental Oversight Committee
• Assist similar efforts at other institutions through communication and collaboration

Philosophy

Greening Princeton seeks to improve the relationship between the University and the environment by first identifying pertinent environmental issues and then creating task forces to develop solutions.  These subgroups approach administrators responsible for major decisions in their areas and meet with them on a regular basis to develop strong working relationships while addressing issues.  

Greening Princeton is unique because of its emphasis on collaboration.  We have found that administrators are generally receptive to environmental initiatives but are often constrained by time or money.  We therefore try to present the issue not as “You need to do this”, but rather “What can we do to help you move forward?”  We initiate projects by contacting the most appropriate administrator(s) and listening to their concerns and constraints to see how we can make our ideas work with their mission.  As much as possible, we start with cost-saving or cost-neutral projects (the "low-hanging fruit") and then build up to larger projects.   

By bringing in new ideas, assisting with background research, increasing student support for initiatives, and/or advocating for funding, Greening Princeton can greatly accelerate the process of improving and implementing environmentally friendly and socially responsible policies.  We have found that building strong relationships not only increases the chances of accomplishing our goals but also increases the responsiveness of the administration and individual administrators to environmental initiatives over the long-term.