Ericson, UWL alum and sustainability coordinator, honored with 2024 Inspiring Sustainability Award

Ericson, UWL alum and sustainability coordinator, honored with 2024 Inspiring Sustainability Award

Andrew Ericson is all about living green.

He has long embraced a car-free lifestyle - a habit that was solidified last August after his 2008 Ford Focus broke down beyond repair.

At UW-La Crosse campus events, you'll rarely spot him without his "trusty metal fork," a testament to his efforts to minimize plastic use.

As UWL's sustainability coordinator, Ericson leads by example, weaving sustainable practices not only into his personal life, but also his professional work and contributions to the broader La Crosse community.

The Sustainability Institute, a Driftless Region non-profit dedicated to sustainability, has honored Ericson with the 2024 Inspiring Sustainability Award for his exemplary leadership in community climate action and sustainability initiatives. This year marks the 14th anniversary of the awards. Alongside Ericson, La Crosse Habitat for Humanity was also recognized for their contributions.

"Andrew's unwavering enthusiasm and dedication to our community's sustainability truly set him apart as an emerging leader, both on UWL's campus and beyond," says Carrie Thompson, executive director of Sustainability Institute. "His direct work with UWL students and local policies exemplifies his commitment to making meaningful change for a brighter and more sustainable future."

In less than two years, Ericson has implemented some major UW-La Crosse sustainability initiatives, including the "Week without Driving " campaign aimed at reducing campus emissions from commuting and encouraging discussions about barriers to sustainable commuting. He also partnered with Habitat for Humanity and others from UWL to launch the award-winning Dumpster Diversion program, which diverts furniture and waste from landfills during campus move-out. His campus marketing efforts for the city's Municipal Transit System (MTU) have contributed to significantly increasing public transportation usage, with the MTU seeing over 10,000 additional rides per year from UWL Students between 2022 and 2023.

Ericson's passion for sustainability started early on in life, but it was reignited during his sophomore year at UWL when he joined the Students for Sustainability organization. He was inspired by the group's proactive approach, which included launching a composting program and advocating for the OZZI reusable containers in campus dining facilities. A major initiative involved collecting signatures from a quarter of the student body to create a new sustainability coordinator position at UWL, the position he now holds. "I think my name is actually on here," he says thumbing through hundreds of signed forms in a pile on his office desk.

Joining UWL's Students for Sustainability changed Ericson's college and career trajectory and opened door after door, he explains. "I remember being energized by the people around me, a group of passionate do-gooders trying to make real progress on sustainability," he says.

Today, Ericson is still making that progress. In addition to his UWL role, he actively participates in the City of La Crosse Climate Action Plan Steering Committee, working on the implementation of a comprehensive climate action plan, a massive document with 281 actions related to addressing climate change. His focus on transportation issues includes advocating for the update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and securing a grant to expand bicycle parking in downtown La Crosse.

The city's Climate Action Plan is a monumental task and not one that can be done by any one person, says Ericson. "Clean energy, transportation, green space … Addressing climate change is so monumental that it can be easy to say, 'how on earth will we do this?'" he says. "So, I just gaslight myself into thinking it will be easy - and start to do it."

Ericson's involvement in city sustainability initiatives aligns with his personal values, reinforcing the importance of collaboration between UWL and the community to handle complex issues like multimodal transportation infrastructure or land use decisions, "very frequently we cannot address a source of carbon emissions by ourselves, rather we have to work collaboratively," he said.

Ericson believes that UWL and the City of La Crosse are uniquely positioned to lead the way in active and sustainable transportation. The city's geography, nestled between the river and the bluffs, combined with the university's longstanding commitment-emblazoned on its seal-to educate both the mind and body, aligns perfectly with the health benefits of active transportation.

Grateful for his role as UWL's sustainability coordinator, Ericson relishes the opportunity to work daily on something he is deeply passionate about. But his favorite part of the job some days is just getting here.

"My commute is sometimes the highlight of my day, coming from La Crosse's North Side through the La Crosse River Marsh on my bike, it's beautiful in a new way every day" he says. "I hope more people can give biking, rolling or taking the bus to work a chance."