U Utah Establishes School of Environment, Society & Sustainability
The result of a merger between the department of Geography and the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program, the new school includes physical sciences; social and behavioral sciences, which include environmental justice, environmental sociology, politics ecology and economic geography; and data science.
Flinders U Earns STARS V3.0 Gold
(Australia) As the first institution in the world to receive a STARS version 3.0 rating, the university's points of distinction include being powered exclusively from renewable energy, using recycled water for irrigating sports fields, and using electric vehicle surplus battery storage during peak demand periods. Tecnológico de Monterrey–Campus Chihuahua, listed below, is the second institution in the world to submit under version 3.0.
Catawba College Gift Enables $66M Endowment for Sustainability
The college received recently a $200 million anonymous gift to its endowment. Two-thirds of the annual distributions from the gift will provide unrestricted funding for the college while the remaining third will be directed to programs that support environmental education and sustainability.
U California San Francisco Appoints Inaugural CSO
The university recently appointed Kira Stoll to its inaugural chief sustainability officer (CSO) role and executive director of the Office of Sustainability. Previously Stoll worked at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz in sustainability and transportation management. The position reports to the associate vice chancellor of Campus Life Services.
Aspen Institute Releases Higher Ed Climate Action Plan
The Higher Ed Climate Action Plan supports the higher education sector in advancing a holistic and systemic approach to climate action. The report highlights ways for institutions to integrate climate considerations into all aspects of campus operations, research, education and community engagement, emphasizing that isolated efforts are insufficient for meaningful impact.
Bentley U to Purchase 100% Wind Power
The university recently signed a four-year agreement to purchase electricity from a wind farm in Maine. The purchase is anticipated to supply 100 percent of the electricity needs of the university through 2027. The wind site will be incorporated into an intensive field course on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
