Duke Athletics this week announced the Duke Climate Commitment with a new initiative aimed at advancing sustainability and climate action across campus and beyond.
The school's new Athletics Climate Team (ACT) consists of more than 40 members, including student-athletes, coaches and staff from across Duke. Its mission: to align Duke Athletics with the university’s climate goals, and leverage the resources, platform and people of Duke Athletics to promote sustainable practices.
“We’ve been working on sustainability within Duke Athletics for a long time — through our facilities, our operations, our teams and our behaviors,” vice president Nina King said. “ACT helps us bring all of that work together with a clear, strategic focus. It’s about using our platform to inspire meaningful change.”
According to a post on Duke's website, the creation of ACT builds upon years of grassroots and institutional efforts. Brandon Hersh ‘24, a former student-athlete and the university’s first joint hire between Duke Athletics and the Office of Climate and Sustainability, has been a leader in this work. Hersh co-founded the Duke Sustainable Athletics Group (DSAG), which now includes more than 50 student-athletes representing a range of sports and academic disciplines.
“DSAG laid the groundwork, showed that student-athletes care, and proved there is a model for this work,” Hersh said. “Now, with ACT, we’re bringing ideas to scale across all of Duke Athletics. It’s about making sustainability at Duke sustainable itself — embedding it into our culture and seeking innovative solutions where they make sense.
DSAG has launched several successful initiatives, including athletic gear drives, “green games,” educational sessions and waste pilot programs. Each of these efforts are “repeatable and scalable by design,” Hersh said. The group’s successes demonstrate the potential of student-led and grassroots efforts to influence behavior and shape institutional values.
Duke has implemented a range of sustainability practices including:
- Blue Devil Tower at Wallace Wade Stadium is LEED Silver certified.
- Nearly all athletic facilities feature LED lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and anti-microbial lighting in locker rooms.
- Training table meals are sourced in part from local farms and producers.
- The field hockey team’s vibrant blue turf is not only water-efficient but also made primarily from sugar cane-based material.
- Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium is the first NCAA Division I outdoor college sports venue to be lit with LED lighting.
