ASU initiatives win major awards for sustainability impact

From water innovation to carbon reduction and food systems, three initiatives from the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University were recently honored at Arizona Forward’s 2026 Environmental Excellence Awards, highlighting their real-world impact on the state’s most pressing sustainability challenges.

The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative and the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions both received coveted a Crescordia Award in their respective categories. The Food Waste Futures Fellowship program, embedded in the Sustainability Teachers Academy, received an Award of Distinction.

“The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative proudly shares this award with more than 150 partners across the state working together to advance water security and resilience for all Arizonans,” said Dave White, associate vice president of research advancement with ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise, who accepted the Crescordia Award for the initiative.

Arizona Forward hosts the annual event to encourage forward-thinking initiatives that promote a resilient future for Arizona.

“This recognition emphasizes ASU’s leadership in developing technologies needed to balance the global carbon cycle and secure a sustainable future for Arizona,” said Matthew Green, director of the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions.

“The Environmental Excellence award of distinction means a lot to our team, who all worked so hard to make the fellowship possible,” said Amy Liu Flores, senior program manager with the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Teachers Academy and the unit’s representative at the event.

The Global Futures Laboratory provides key engagement spaces for scientists, educators and leaders across ASU and around the world to address critical issues related to the future of our planet. These award-winning projects effectively represent the innovative, engaging ways our lab approaches sustainability challenges.

Ensuring water for the future of Arizona

ASU’s Arizona Water Innovation Initiative is a multiyear statewide project co-led by the Global Futures Laboratory and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. The initiative advances conservation, policy and technology through research, partnerships and education. Its work spans five pillars and delivers real-world solutions that strengthen Arizona’s long-term water security and sustainability.

Clean technology

The Center for Negative Carbon Emissions develops technological solutions that remove carbon from the atmosphere, effectively addressing environmental degradation, improving air quality and treating emissions as waste to drive tangible climate action.

Curriculum-based and youth environmental education

The Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Teachers Academy's Food Waste Futures Fellowship works with local organizations to reduce food waste in schools and in communities through experiential learning and empowering educators and students. Through partnerships with the World Wildlife Fund, Mill, and Incite, the fellowship provides educators with the resources and opportunities to take action with their students.