Adaptive Net Zero and Sustainable Operations Planning with Duke University

This session offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at Duke University’s evolving journey toward net zero emissions and sustainable campus operations. Drawing directly from the experiences of Duke’s sustainability team and key partners, participants will explore how a large, complex institution is translating climate commitments into action while adapting to real-world constraints and opportunities.

Across higher education, institutions are being asked to demonstrate stronger environmental leadership and accelerate progress on climate goals while navigating increased resource constraints, decentralized decision-making, and limited authority over implementation. This session engages that reality directly, focusing on how institutions can develop plans that remain resilient, credible, and effective—even amid uncertainty.

The discussion will center on Duke’s newly developed Sustainable Operations Roadmap and Net Zero Plan, created over the past year as flexible yet ambitious guides for the future. Attendees will gain insight into how Duke balanced ambition with pragmatism, aligning climate goals with institutional priorities and realities.

Through an interactive, story-driven format, speakers will share practical lessons and key takeaways including how to:

- Design flexible, durable plans that reflect current financial and operational realities while creating pathways to scale ambition as conditions evolve.
- Engage stakeholders strategically, meeting campus partners where they are, acknowledging constraints, and building enthusiasm and shared accountability for progress
- Secure leadership buy-in during complex moments by clearly articulating value, managing risk, and aligning sustainability with broader institutional priorities
- Embed sustainability into everyday decision-making, identifying and closing gaps where climate considerations are not yet part of routine processes
- Shift sustainability from a single-office responsibility to a collective effort, activating departments, teams, and individuals across campus

This session emphasizes adaptability, realism, and persistence. Participants will hear openly about roadblocks encountered, tradeoffs made, and how expectations were recalibrated without losing sight of long-term goals. Attendees will leave with practical strategies, relatable examples, and fresh perspective on navigating sustainability work in complex institutional environments through shared learning and facilitated discussion.