AASHE STARS Review Template
As part of AASHE's efforts to continuously improve STARS data quality and the reporting process, AASHE has released a STARS Review Template. The template highlights common issues that AASHE staff have identified during standard post-submission reviews. Conducting an independent or internal review using the review template can earn the institution bonus points.
New Issue: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
This issue of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education includes articles about the extent to which campus efforts address regional sustainability needs, nutrition students’ self-reported learning about and understanding of sustainable food systems and dietary practices, an examination of the diverse definitions of sustainability in higher education, and an assessment of the effectiveness of higher education institutions as a sustainability communication channel.
AASHE 2017 Sustainable Campus Index
The 2017 Sustainable Campus Index 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 highlights innovative and high-impact initiatives from institutions that submitted STARS reports in the 12 months prior to July 1, 2017.
Guide to Making Claims About Your Solar Power Use
The Guide to Making Claims About Your Solar Power Use, released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, describes best practices for appropriately explaining and characterizing solar power activities and the fundamental importance of renewable energy certificates for solar power use claims. This guidance is primarily focused on claims associated with on-site projects but is also relevant for off-site owned projects.
Carbon Markets & Offsets Guidance
The document was developed by Second Nature as a resource for higher education institutions implementing one of the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments. It outlines the concept of carbon offsets, how offsetting can be used, and what constitutes a quality carbon offset project. It is meant to provide guidance to help signatories understand the best practices for incorporating carbon offsets into their greenhouse gas mitigation plans while aligning with institution-specific goals.
Higher Education’s Anchor Mission: Measuring Place-Based Engagement
This new report from the Democracy Collaborative examines how an ongoing effort to track the impact of colleges and universities on the financial and social well-being of their surrounding neighborhoods is helping these anchor institutions align their resources to build stronger community partnerships and create more inclusive local economies. The institutions in the report are part of a cohort of six universities working to address the economic realities and needs of their communities by directing more of their resources locally. They are: Buffalo State College; Cleveland State University; Drexel University; Rutgers University at Newark; University of Missouri at St. Louis; and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research
This multidisciplinary handbook includes case studies that illustrate how sustainability science and research can contribute to the realization of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It provides examples from different countries that highlight sustainable development research.
Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research
This handbook presents the work of researchers from across the spectrum of the social sciences. The book offers a basis for the dissemination of information, ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of research projects, including initiatives that have influenced behavior, decision-making or policy.
Handbook of Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development
This handbook focuses on lifelong learning for sustainable development to foster the exchange of information, ideas and experiences. It also presents methodological approaches and experiences from case studies and projects, which demonstrate how lifelong learning for sustainable development can be implemented in practice.
Renewable Energy 101: Ten Tools for Moving Your Campus to 100% Clean Energy
Environment America Research and Policy Center has released a series of fact sheets highlighting 10 key tools to help colleges and universities build a 100 percent clean, renewable energy system. Each fact sheet includes two case studies of effective action on college campuses, as well as a list of resources.
American Council on Education Issue Brief on Trump Administration’s DACA Decision
The issue brief details the key elements of the Trump administration’s “DACA Rescission Memorandum” and how it will impact students and campuses. Along with talking points, this brief attempts to help campuses prepare to assist students and speak to their congressional delegations about the importance of acting now to protect DACA recipients.
Exposing the Ties Between Australian Universities and the Fossil Fuel Industry
The report highlights links between universities and the fossil fuel industry through research funding, and the relationship between members on university boards and companies with significant business in fossil fuels. The report was released by Fossil Free Universities, which is run by environmental organization 350.org and university divestment groups.
Campus Energy & Sustainability Podcast
Highlighting sustainability on higher education campuses, the podcast has five episodes available that have covered sustainability in laboratories, sustainable public water systems, and sustainability in curricula.
2017 Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey Report
The 2017 Higher Education Sustainability Staffing Survey Report examines the nature of sustainability positions at colleges and universities, providing insights into salaries, funding, supervision, job satisfaction and challenges. Improvements to the report include information from outside of the U.S. and Canada, and graphical data comparisons.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
The most recent issue includes articles about measuring institutional water use and estimating carbon footprints of food menu items, as well as a book review of Let Knowledge Serve the City, a compilation of articles out of Portland State University that highlights how communities and institutions can work together to solve sustainability challenges.
Tips for Detoxing Your Dorm
This research-based set of tips released by the Healthy Green Campus Project aims to help students eliminate exposure to chemicals found in everyday products, such as food, cleaning products, toiletries, clothing, and laundry and bedding.
Higher Education Paving the Way to Sustainable Development: A Global Perspective
This report, based on the 2016 IAU Global Survey on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development, released by the International Association of Universities (IAU) provides an overview of higher education approaches to sustainable development undertaken by IAU members. By researching and analyzing IAU members’ approaches to sustainable development, the report aims to contribute to the UNESCO Global Action Program on Education for Sustainable Development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Affordability in Higher Education Booklet
The articles in this compilation, produced and released by Inside Higher Ed, look at issues related to affordability and questions beyond money (such as time to graduation) that have a major impact on how much students and families pay.
Green Building Assessment Curriculum Toolkit
The USGBC toolkit provides higher education faculty with access to curated resources and processes, organized to aid in teaching about and engaging students in the concepts of sustainability, green building and LEED with a focus on the first two phases of a building’s life cycle – design and construction. The materials can be adapted and scaled to fit a variety of class topics, degree programs and student learning levels.
New Report: Mapping Sustainability Assessment and Reporting in the UK Tertiary Education
The Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges' (EAUC) new report helps sustainability professionals evaluate sustainability reporting and assessment tools in order to best determine the right tool for their institution. Released in tandem with the report is a dashboard that allows an institution to create a baseline map to identify gaps and further drive sustainability performance.
New Report: Assessing the Higher Education Sector’s Use of Renewable Energy
The report explores the extent to which U.S.-based institutions of higher education have engaged in voluntary purchases and production of renewable energy. The study, released by the University of New Hampshire and Edison Energy, utilized self-reported, publicly available data for a 10-year period from the nearly 500 colleges and universities participating in different national programs that collect information about campus energy use from participants.
New Book: Sustainability Practice and Education on University Campuses and Beyond
The book's case studies cover campus sustainability topics that include student-driven and college-driven environmental sustainability programs in undergraduate and graduate classes, issues in teaching environmental sustainability, the LEED certification of universities, issues of shrinking cities, and a comparison of sustainable military bases with college campuses.
New Book: University Campus Solid Waste Management
Using University of Malaya as a case study, the author assessed waste disposal, management and recycling techniques in order to understand how to reduce the environmental impact while retaining the maximum cost savings for the university. A method for analysis of solid waste composition is also proposed. The book can serve as a guide and blueprint for other universities that are taking steps toward sustainability through improved solid waste management.
Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community and Political Action
Act on Climate: Steps to Individual, Community, and Political Action is an online course designed to help participants understand, address and respond to climate change as individuals and in partnership with their communities and political leaders. Designed by students, faculty and learning specialists, the course focuses on how to translate learning into action on climate change in the areas of food, energy, transportation and the built environment.
New Issue: The International Journal of Management Education
The latest issue of The International Journal of Management Education is a special issue focused on the Principles for Responsible Management Education. Research articles address a wide variety of topics, including the role of business schools in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Sustainability Literacy Test, service learning, and pedagogy for responsible management education.
New Book: News From the Front of Sustainable University Campuses
New From the Front of Sustainable University Campuses attempts to untangle and test how universities can help the localities and societies in which they operate transition toward carbon neutrality, societal sustainability and resilience to climate change. Strategies highlighted include policies and action plans, management programs, new interdisciplinary and cross-cutting committees, bottom-up governance structures and green teams, and advanced IT systems for energy management.
Investor Blueprint to Incorporate ESG Factors Into Portfolios
In response to the U.S. government’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the Intentional Endowments Network released a blueprint for investors to align with the Paris Climate Agreement by incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into investment portfolios.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
The most recent issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record covers barriers to effectiveness of university sustainability offices, a case study about a campus sustainability social network, and an investigation about the importance of beliefs in environmental behaviors as they relate to pro-environmental behaviors.
Behavior Change for Sustainability: Northwest Earth Institute's Approach
The paper explains why behavior change research is important and what it offers, and how the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) uses behavior change theory in their programs. The paper includes both survey data and stories from participant’s experiences of behavior changes in NWEI Discussion Courses and the EcoChallenge.
