Stopping the sustainability brain drain

The opinions expressed here by Trellis expert contributors are their own, not those of Trellis. The current landscape for sustainability professionals is undergoing a major shift, transitioning from years of growth to a period of cutbacks. In some cases, companies are downsizing or reorganizing their teams, and academic institutions are following suit by eliminating programs or downsizing their sustainability initiatives. But as the climate crisis worsens and the geopolitical energy crisis escalates, it’s essential to consider the effects these shifts may have on our future workforce.  A delicate environment for higher ed  Over the past few years, the Trump administration has cracked down on funding for colleges and universities, terminating over 4,000 grants to more than 600 institutions, with many of those including EPA-funded higher education initiatives.  Facing mounting political pressure and budget constraints, some colleges and universities have   closed their sustainability offices, such as the University of Florida, which shuttered its office after two decades, citing a 5 percent administrative budget cut. Similarly, Boston College’s sustainability department paused hiring this year. (It should be noted that sustainability offices are mainly responsible for managing an institution’s climate goals and don’t always have influence over academic courses.)  But other schools have cut back directly on academic programming from funding issues at the federal and state level. Washington State University, for instance, has faced severe cuts to its clean energy research. Similarly, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, a top-ranked school for environmental studies, is eliminating staff positions and graduate…

Continue reading →