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Butler outlines campus plan to cut emissions, expand native plantings and scale composting
Summary
Butler University presented a multi‑phase decarbonization plan and campus sustainability initiatives — including rewilding, a 10‑year native planting target, and expanded composting — to the Indianapolis City‑County Council Environmental Sustainability Committee.
Butler University’s Office of Sustainability told the Indianapolis City‑County Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee that the university is pursuing a multi‑phase plan to reduce campus carbon emissions while expanding native landscaping and student engagement.
Julia Engsman, executive director of Butler University’s Office of Sustainability, said the office — renamed in March 2024 after operating since 2018 as the Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability — is focused on four areas: strategic energy management, on‑site renewables and EV charging, thermal transition toward electrification, and off‑site renewable procurement. “We officially got our new name in March of 2024,” Engsman said, and added that the university is working to “lower our emissions profile on campus as effective as possible.”
The university’s decarbonization effort grew from a 2012 climate commitment to reach carbon neutrality; a board of trustees decision last February accelerated planning and funding for the effort. Engsman said…
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