AASHE Announces Top Performers in 2021 SCI
The 2021 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) recognizes top-performing colleges and universities in 17 sustainability impact areas and overall by institution type as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). The report also includes innovative and high-impact institutional highlights. Top performers overall by institution type are Dawson College (Associate), Colby College (Baccalaureate), Thompson Rivers University (Master’s), and Colorado State University (Doctoral/research). Details about the 25 top-performing institutions can be found within the report.
PLAN Announces Inaugural Top 10 Zero Waste Campuses
The Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) released recently the first annual list of Top 10 Zero Waste Campuses in the U.S., as assessed by PLAN’s Atlas Zero Waste Certification Program. Atlas is a holistic assessment framework for measuring waste reduction on college and university campuses.
U Kentucky to Purchase 55 MW of Solar Power
The university recently entered into an agreement with a regional utility company to purchase 44 percent of the power output of a 125-megawatt solar facility. This power purchase is estimated to cover approximately one-third of the electricity consumed by campus.
National U Ireland Galway Achieves STARS Gold
(Ireland) The National University of Ireland, Galway is the second institution from Ireland to earn a STARS rating. Points of distinction in the university's sustainability journey include a green labs initiative, which seeks to certify all labs on campus by 2025; networking and collaborating with other sectors on energy efficiency and savings; and an award-winning environmental education program.
U New Hampshire Renews STARS Platinum
The university's STARS Platinum rating was first achieved in 2018 and renewed in mid-October 2021. Points of distinction include weaving sustainability across the university's strategic framework, peer-to-peer sustainability learning programs, and sustainable investing and governance.
Princeton Review Releases Guide to 2022 Green Colleges
The Princeton Review recently released its 12th annual Guide to Green Colleges, profiling 420 universities and colleges with a commitment to sustainability. Of the 420 schools selected for the guide, 391 are in the U.S., 26 in Canada, one in Ecuador, one in Egypt, and one in Greece. Twenty-seven of the 420 schools earned a green rating score of 99 (the highest possible score).
Santa Clara U Receives $5M Donation for Photovoltaic Systems
A couple recently donated $10 million to the university for a new STEM campus, half of which will fund photovoltaic systems in multiple campus locations over the next few years. The combined systems are anticipated to generate 1.7 megawatts of renewable energy each year when completed.
Scotland’s Colleges Achieve Living Wage Accreditation
(Scotland) Scotland's colleges recently received accreditation as Living Wage Employers. The commitment means that all staff, whether directly employed or contracted via a third party, will receive upwards of the current hourly rate of $13.11 (9.50 British pounds).
Dartmouth College to Divest From Fossil Fuel Holdings
In a recent announcement about steps to address the climate crisis, the college indicated a strategic investment of endowment funds, which includes investing in energy transitions while reducing all fossil fuel holdings to zero.
U California Irvine Renews STARS Platinum
The university's STARS Platinum rating was first achieved in 2018 and renewed in mid-October 2021. Points of distinction include a campus sustainability engagement strategy during the pandemic, sustainability content in over 48 percent of courses during the 2020-21 academic year, and 21 LEED Platinum and 11 LEED Gold certifications for new construction.
Rutgers U to Establish Office of Climate Action
Toward the end of September, the university's president announced a new Climate Action Plan and the formation of a new Office of Climate Action, which will lead the university's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. The office will be housed in the Office of University Strategy, and will work to achieve key milestones, including ensuring that Rutgers removes more greenhouse gases than it emits by its 275th anniversary in 2041.
Virginia Tech Launches Climate Action Living Laboratory
The new Climate Action Living Laboratory seeks to more deeply integrate the university's climate action commitment efforts into the university's educational mission and engage more students in hands-on learning opportunities around sustainability.
AASHE ED Appointed to Times Higher Ed Advisory Board
AASHE's executive director, Meghan Fay Zahniser, is now one of 10 Times Higher Education (THE) advisory board members who were selected to advise THE on how to improve THE's Impact Rankings. The rankings capture higher education institutions' impact on society based on delivery of the SDGs.
