UC Santa Cruz is one of the top performing universities in sustainable practices, according to the 2016 Sustainable Campus Index.
The campus ranked No. 10 on the list of Doctoral/Research Institutions and was the only University of California campus on that list. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently featured this list as well as ones for master’s, baccalaureate, and associate institutions.
“Campus sustainability in operations and academics is key to a successful experience for students while they are part of our campus community, and even more important as our students move on to shape our future as global citizens," said Elida Erickson, director of the Sustainability Office.
For its efforts to save water and manage rainwater, UC Santa Cruz ranked No. 4 on a water sustainability list. Additionally, the campus tied for No. 3 on an investment and finance list.
“Institutions with transparent and democratic investment processes promote accountability and engagement by the campus and community,” the report notes. "By using the tools of sustainable investment and disclosure, institutions can improve the long-term health of their endowments, encourage better corporate behavior, support innovation in sustainable products and services, support sustainability in their community, and help build a more just and sustainable financial system."
The Climate and Energy Strategy and Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality developed by UC Santa Cruz were also featured in the report.
The 2016 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) recognizes top-performing colleges and universities in 17 distinct aspects of sustainability, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). The rating system evaluated the 249 institutions that submitted a valid Stars Version 2 report between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2016.
