The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities at Furman University

This week, the South Carolina Office of Resilience and our Climate Resilience Manager Adelaide Bates hosted Resilience 101 training sessions for staff members at the City of Goose Creek and the Town of Summerville to assist the jurisdictions in planning for and building resilience.? ? The trainings were facilitated by SCOR's recently?hired?Santee Watershed Coordinator?Catherine Lippert Min?‘20. Recognize Catherine? It's because she's a Furman?alum?and former Shi Institute Project Coordinator/GIS Analyst!? ? During the program, they?introduced the topic of?resilience,?discussed?benefits of building resilience and?shared information about available resources.??Catherine also highlighted?SCOR’s work and?South Carolina’s Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan. As a part of the Geos Institute Southeast Navigator Network, Adelaide works alongside communities with FEMA-designated Community Disaster Resilience Zones like Summerville and Goose Creek to support them in building resilience.?Thank you?to?Catherine and her?colleagues at SCOR?for their?commitment?to?this work! #resilience #communities #SC #partnerships #sustainability #furman #furmanuniversity #furmanalumni

With continued population and economic growth in South Carolina, we need to find ways to procure more renewable energy, and the private sector is critical in that endeavor. Increasing energy from renewables is good for public health and in the effort to maintain a stable climate.?The Shi Institute partnered with Dr. Matt Cohen, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science, to examine the demand for renewable energy from South Carolina-based companies. The study analyzes corporate sustainability reports and interviews with business representatives. Among other findings, the report concludes that: 1)?????Companies are increasingly seeking access to renewable energy. 2)?????Businesses commonly referenced SC’s policy and regulatory framework as a challenge in those efforts. 3)?????The availability of affordable Renewable Energy Certificates and the comparatively low cost of electricity in the state may undermine SC-based investments or overall demand for renewables. Like most issues in sustainability, the nuances of the issue are important, so we encourage you to read the full report below or via our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/egTWEamN Thank you to the Conservation Voters of South Carolina for supporting this research!

Furman has received two Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative for work in efficiency and environmental impact reduction during the construction of Lakeview Hall ?? ?? “This achievement underscores our dedication to creating a residence hall that not only provides a healthy and energy-efficient space for our students, but also aligns with our mission to support a sustainable future,” said Associate Dean of Students and Director of Housing and Residence Life Ron Thompson. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eb9uzUh6

Join us this Wednesday! We’re excited to co-host a Three Sisters dinner at Topsoil Restaurant from 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Nov. 6! This special event is a fund-raiser for the Community Conservation Corps, a partnership between the Shi Institute and Habitat for Humanity Greenville County. The five-course dinner will celebrate corn, beans and squash - known as the Three Sisters - and feature other ingredients indigenous to our area. Proceeds from the event will support storm recovery for Habitat for Humanity homeowners and/or ongoing efforts to build resilience through home weatherization work in our community. Video: Aruzhan Sakhariyanova Please consider supporting this important cause! For tickets, please visit: https://lnkd.in/ehDCFc58

Hi friends and colleagues in the Upstate of South Carolina. Please join the Shi Institute for some great food and help raise funds for the Community Conservation Corps, a partnership between the Shi Institute and Habitat for Humanity Greenville County. Proceeds support ongoing storm recovery and home weatherization--making our community more resilient!

From painting reusable tote bags to exploring the campus bike rental program, Eco Fest, hosted by The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities at Furman University, offered countless ways to engage with sustainability! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eQUatWQ4

We had a great time representing the Shi Institute at RayDay, an annual event honoring the work and legacy of Ray C. Anderson, founder of Interface and leader of the green industrial revolution. "This was my second year going, and I was reminded again that we are not in this alone; there are many organizations in Atlanta and across the South working towards more sustainable communities," said Executive Director Dr. Andrew Predmore. "And there are folks in the general public that are ready to learn and contribute to the work." The Shi Institute decided to use cornhole to teach Kate Raworth’s doughnut economics. Success for all ages! A few more people understand that we must build an economy that can meet our needs within ecological and planetary boundaries! To learn more about the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, please visit: https://lnkd.in/geMzufux #furman #furmanuniversity #sustainability #sustainablecommunities

Furman University’s commitment to the environment earned it a top spot by the 2024 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainable Campus Index. The organization ranked Furman third out of 355 universities, technical colleges and other institutions in the category of campus engagement. Furman is the only baccalaureate university in the country and the only school from South Carolina to earn a spot in the top 10, rising from fourth last year. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e4qqebbp #sustainability #sustainabilityeducation #sustainabilityleaders #furman #furmanuniversity #furmanalumni #sc #aashe #campusengagement #students #leaders #rankings

Sustain SC and The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities at Furman University are thrilled to introduce the 2025 class of Sustainability Leadership Initiative fellows! Entering its fourth year, this class of 25 participants represents a diverse network of statewide leaders committed to working together to identify and implement positive change in their organizations and communities. “We’re incredibly proud to see the SLI program grow and evolve each year with new fellows eager to champion sustainability throughout the state,” said Leslie Skardon, CEO of Sustain SC. “This year’s class brings a wealth of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and we’re confident they will be instrumental in advancing the mission of Sustain SC to benefit South Carolina.” Learn more and meet the 2025 Class: https://lnkd.in/eKYR9EEh

This month, in partnership with Beaufort County, the Resilient Cities Catalyst, and the Geos Institute, we hosted the first-ever Climate Ready America Regional Resilience Accelerator Workshop! Since April of this year, the Shi Institute’s Climate Resilience Manager Adelaide Bates has worked closely with Beaufort County's Environmental Long-Range Planner to support the formation of a highly motivated Resilience Working Group committed to action. Group formation stemmed from the County's Long-Term Resilience Strategy which was adopted in early 2024 and highlighted the need for the region to shift from planning to implementation. This full-day, in-person workshop convened representatives from municipal and county governments, state agencies and local organizations to develop a six-month roadmap for this soon-to-launch Regional Resilience Working Group. The roadmap includes important work on sea level rise, sustainable and accessible transportation, living shorelines, land and development policies and much more—all of which will make Beaufort more resilient to our changing environment. Leading up to this workshop we hosted two online sharing sessions that allowed organizations the opportunity to share their current work before the workshop. These sharing sessions enabled us to focus the in-person workshop entirely on aligning work, identifying critical work that is missing, and developing pragmatic solutions to overcome barriers to implementation. At the Shi Institute, we strive to make a positive sustainability difference in communities across the state, and to engage students and faculty along the way (more soon!). We can’t wait to see what is next in this important work and are thankful to be collaborating with Beaufort County. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eCPZyY58 #furman #furmanuniversity #sustainability #sustainabilityleadership #transportation #sc #policy #resilience