7 Shocking Secrets NM Leaders Won't Tell You About Sustainability This Earth Month!

This Earth Month, two sustainability activists emphasized the University of New Mexico's (UNM) initiatives in addressing the climate crisis and its broader environmental responsibilities. While they acknowledged the university's efforts as a promising start, they stressed that substantial work remains ahead.

The most significant step taken by UNM is its strategic sustainability plan, unveiled in October 2025, with ambitious goals set for achievement by 2030. This plan outlines various objectives aimed at transforming campus operations and fostering a culture of sustainability. Key areas of focus include reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, managing land and water use, improving waste management, enhancing transportation options, and minimizing waste in food and dining services.

Feleecia Guillen, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and an organizer with New Mexico No False Solutions, described the release of the plan as a “step in the right direction.” Guillen, who contributed to the data collection for the plan, noted, “For an institution with as much influence as UNM in New Mexico, there should have been deeper, more meaningful consultation with communities across the state, especially those on the frontlines of extraction and environmental harm.” She emphasized that community engagement should not merely be a procedural formality but should directly inform the plan's direction and content.

Caitlyn Bizzell, the director of projects for UNM Leaders for Environmental Action and Foresight and director of Environmental Affairs for the Associated Students at UNM, expressed satisfaction with the plan's release. She remarked, “We want them to know that we are watching and waiting, expecting them to follow through.” The university's commitment to sustainability will be closely monitored to ensure that the proposed changes are enacted.

The data from the UNM Sustainability Greenhouse Gas Inventory reveals that in 2024, the campus emitted 89,302 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e), broken down into 73,292 MTCO2e from boilers and cogeneration units, alongside mobile combustion emissions, and 16,011 MTCO2e from electricity usage. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, this total is akin to the annual energy consumption of nearly 12,000 homes or the combustion of almost 100 million pounds of coal.

Bizzell highlighted the importance of learning from both successes and setbacks, asserting, “I’m very happy and I expect more. We have to keep going. It’s called the climate crisis for a reason.” In line with the plan's goals, UNM is making strides toward sustainability: the new police building will be its first entirely electric structure, with a second building, the Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology, set to follow.

Guillen remarked on the urgency of the situation, stating, “We are no longer in a moment where incremental sustainability plans or techno-fixes can meet the scale of the crisis. The 1.5 Celsius threshold is not some distant guardrail; it has effectively already been crossed in lived reality across frontline communities.” This threshold stems from the Paris Agreement, an international climate treaty signed in 2015, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with efforts focused on capping the increase at 1.5° Celsius.

She also warned of the dangers posed by maintaining ties to fossil fuels. “If fossil fuel ties—financial, infrastructural, or energy-based—remain intact, then even well-intentioned sustainability plans risk reinforcing the status quo,” Guillen stated. “The only path forward is a full phaseout of fossil fuels.”

The discussions surrounding UNM's sustainability initiatives highlight a critical turning point for not only the university but for the entire New Mexico community. As climate change continues to pose a severe threat, the path laid out in the strategic sustainability plan will require active engagement, accountability, and a commitment to genuine, transformative action. The next steps taken by UNM may very well set a precedent for other institutions pursuing similar environmental goals.