A growing number of U.S. colleges and universities supported green initiatives during the last year despite declining endowments, according to a report released by the Sustainable Endowments Institute.
Twenty-six of 332 schools evaluated in the College Sustainability Report Card received the highest-possible grade of A-minus through sustainable management of campus operations and endowment practices.
Now in its fourth year, the College Sustainability Report Card evaluates schools in nine categories, including climate change and energy, food and recycling, and green building.
Among the schools called sustainability leaders are the University of Pennsylvania, which purchases 45 percent of its electricity from wind power; the University of New Hampshire, which buys produce from an on-campus organic garden; Oberlin College, which powers one building entirely by solar energy; Arizona State University, which owns and operates 137 electric and 170 biofuel-powered vehicles; the University of Colorado, which retrofitted more than 75 buildings for energy efficiency; and Yale University, which has installed 10 micro-wind turbines on campus.
The Sustainable Endowments Institute is a project of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. See the full report here.
Article appearing courtesy of Yale Environment 360.
[photo credit: Flickr]
1 comment
This is good to hear. You could argue, though, that maybe they aren’t going green “despite” falling endowments but because of that. Energy efficiency and many other sustainable choices actually save money, especially over the long term.
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