Overview: Northeastern’s global university system provides a unique opportunity to use international campuses as a living lab for policy innovation. Public policy students conducted a comparative analysis of sustainability policies across Northeastern’s network, identifying best practices, policy gaps, and opportunities to strengthen environmental performance worldwide.
How it Works: As part of a hands-on policy project, students in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs:
- Researched sustainability frameworks at campuses in Boston, London, Toronto, Charlotte, Miami, San Francisco, and Oakland.
- Compared how local environmental regulations and cultural contexts shape campus operations.
- Identified best practices that could be scaled across the network.
- Developed recommendations to improve alignment and coordination across Northeastern’s global system.
Expected Outcomes:
- Provide a comparative framework for evaluating campus sustainability policies.
- Highlight policy gaps and opportunities for better alignment.
- Generate recommendations that inform Northeastern’s climate action and global strategy.
Campus & Global Impact: On campus, this project informs decision-making by aligning local practices with the university’s overarching climate goals. Globally, it demonstrates how Northeastern students can analyze diverse regulatory and cultural environments to design policy strategies that strengthen sustainability. By treating the global campus network as a living lab, the project shows how experiential learning can drive impact at both institutional and international levels.
Contacts : Kimberly Lucas, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs (k.lucas@northeastern.edu)
Related Sustainable Development Goals:
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