The Sustainability Initiative was launched by the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Administration in early 2010. It is chosen as one of two interdisciplinary, university-wide initiatives in areas of campus strength and societal need that also integrate research, education, policy and action.

A 17-member task force was formed that includes faculty, staff, and students representing research, education, and operations. The task force is led by Gregg Mitman, director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

On 27 April 2010, the initiative hosted a highly successful campus-wide retreat which attracted over 200 enthusiastic and engaged participants. From this, 8 working groups in the areas of energy, food, health, transportation, campus environment, materials/consumption, governance, and communication were created. 

During the summer of 2010, the task force and working groups developed a vision and mission, and a set of recommendations of goals, policies, governance structure, and pilot projects to be discussed and acted upon by campus beginning in the fall semester 2010. The recommendations and Report of the Task Force was published on 10 October 2010. A preliminary Inventory of campus sustainability activity was also published.