The Nitrogen Working Group (NWG) at UVA was founded in 2014 in response to the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors goal to reduce UVA’s Nitrogen footprint 25% by 2025. We are dedicated to calculating the University's nitrogen footprint and devising ways to reduce it in order to achieve this goal. Besides calculating nitrogen, the team has developed an Integrative Environmental Footprint Tool (IEFT) that calculates nitrogen, carbon, water, and phosphorous footprints. We also have team members involved in connecting with the University community through social outreach, including creating Instagram content as well as various other projects (see Teams -> Social Outreach).
History
The history of the Nitrogen Working Group is integrally tied up in the history of the University of Virginia's Sustainability Goals. The group was founded in 2014 as a part of a formal recognition of the need for the university's reduction of its nitrogen footprint and as a method of achieving the university's stated goal of reducing their nitrogen footprint by 20% by 2020. When the University of Virginia revised its Sustainability Goals in 2022, it updated its nitrogen goal to a reduction of 30% by 2030. The Nitrogen Working Group has been an essential part of working to achieve these goals. While significant progress has been made, our work will continue to help UVA to build a more sustainable future as a part of their vision for a sustainable, environmentally-conscious university.
In 2023, the Nitrogen Working Group officially became a branch of the Office for Sustainability. We are continuing a variety of projects and starting some new ones within the Office's framework, and are excited to be working with an action-oriented and conscientious group of people.