Living Like the Future Matters: Inspiring Urban Sustainability »

ASU and Phoenix have collaborated on numerous big projects through the years, including development of the ASU campus in the heart of downtown. More recently, ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability and Phoenix teamed up to win a $25 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to launch Energize Phoenix, a sustainable energy efficiency program that creates green jobs and reduces carbon emissions while transforming energy use in diverse neighborhoods along a 10-mile stretch of the Metro light rail.

By Greg Stanton

Sustainability is what turns big cities into great cities. It’s a transformation that starts with good leadership and collaboration, then takes off with visionary thinking and long-term planning. Great cities thrive when sustainability permeates decisions, strategies, and operations.

Phoenix has long benefited from visionary leaders with long-term outlooks. These leaders provided the ideas and groundwork that made it possible to create a major city in a vast desert. They secured a multidimensional water supply that is one of the most reliable in the country. They established strong economic foundations for us in information technology, biotechnology, and other high-value industries that are at the core of a sustainable economy. And they set aside vast natural wonders as preserves for future generations.

Thus, Phoenix has paved the way and has become the sixth most populous city in the nation with 1.4 million people across almost 520 square miles. More than that, Phoenix is the beating heart of a vibrant metropolitan region that encompasses more than 4 million people. It is also the capital of a huge and diverse state that is home to 6 million residents.


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Decision Center for a Desert City marks leadership change

New co-director Dave White works to understand the linkages between science and policy for environmental decision-making. Read more »

ASU helps island nation reduce reliance on imported fossil fuel

Experts from ASU's Collaboratory trained local professionals in Aruba to design and install photovoltaic systems. Read more »

Sustainability scientist pioneers game-changing approach for drought monitoring

Program will use cloud computing, remote sensing for proactive monitoring and forecasting of global drought. Read more »

ASU launches global classroom exploring 'sustainable cities'

Program creates virtual meeting space for international, interdisciplinary student mentoring and collaboration. Read more »

Ecologist receives prestigious international award for water research

Sustainability scientist James Elser looks at how humans impact the global balance of energy and chemical systems. Read more »

EPA intern combines justice and education for a sustainable future

Vanessa Davis combines her criminal justice and sustainability knowledge to investigate criminal cases against the environment. Read more »

Sustainability alum named to Phoenix '40 Under 40'

Colin Tetreault, an executive on loan from ASU to the City of Phoenix, is Greg Stanton's senior policy adviser for sustainability. Read more »

Osvaldo Sala, Wrigley Sustainability Chair, School of Life Sciences and School of Sustainability

As a Julie A. Wrigley Sustainability Chair in the School of Sustainability and School of Life Sciences, Osvaldo Sala promotes sustainability in ecosystem protection and management. Sala’s research focuses on assessing the sensitivity of North American ecosystems to climate change as well as creating scenarios that depict global biodiversity changes over time. His expertise is in ecosystem services, climate change impacts, scenario analysis, and natural resource management. Sala is a Foundation Professor in the School of Sustainability and a Distinguished Sustainability Scientist in the Global Institute of Sustainability.

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Michael Hanemann, Wrigley Sustainability Chair, Department of Economics and School of Sustainability

Michael Hanemann is a Julie A. Wrigley Sustainability Chair in the School of Sustainability and the Department of Economics in the W. P. Carey School of Business. His research focuses on environmental economics and policy, water pricing and management, and the economics of adaptive management. Among his recent work are projects to develop climate change adaptation strategies for the San Francisco Bay Area and assess the future water needs of the Hopi Tribe. Hanemann is a Distinguished Sustainability Scientist in the Global Institute of Sustainability and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Gary Dirks, Wrigley Sustainability Chair, School of Sustainability

In addition to his role as Julie A. Wrigley Sustainability Chair in the School of Sustainability, Gary Dirks is a Distinguished Sustainability Scientist in the Global Institute of Sustainability and the Director of ASU’s LightWorks. His expertise lies in renewable energy, biofuels, energy policy, and energy conservation. As the Director of LightWorks, Dirks leads ASU’s effort in using light-inspired research to advance artificial photosynthesis, biofuels, and photovoltaics. Dirks is also the principal investigator behind LightWorks’ research in converting algal biomass into biofuels.

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John Hofmeister, Wrigley Sustainability Chair, School of Sustainability

John Hofmeister retired as president of the Shell Oil Company in 2008 and began his pursuit in promoting a secure energy future using sustainable practices. As a Julie A. Wrigley Sustainability Chair in the School of Sustainability, Hofmeister brings his knowledge of affordable energy options, energy economics, efficiency improvements, and energy issues. He is a Distinguished Sustainability Scholar in the Global Institute of Sustainability and a Julie A. Wrigley Private Sector Executive-in-Residence for Sustainability in the School of Sustainability.

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