Northwestern Recognized for Sustainability Achievements
"We are honored to earn this recognition. Northwestern’s STARS Gold Rating underscores our commitment to integrate sustainability into our culture and campus operations. This achievement was truly an institution-wide effort with contributions from across the entire Northwestern community.”
Greg Kozak
Director of Sustainability, Northwestern
Evanston, IL– Northwestern University received the second highest rating (STARS Gold) for collegiate sustainability from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Colleges and universities use AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) to measure their sustainability performance. STARS data is open access and several publications and organizations utilize it in ranking schools from a sustainability perspective.
The STARS Gold Rating marks an improvement from Northwestern’s 2017 Silver Rating. Three points of distinction highlighted in the University’s STARS submittal were Northwestern’s improvement in energy efficiency, ISEN’s Program on Plastics, Ecosystems, and Public Health, and the ASG Sustainability Committee’s student-led initiatives.
"We are honored to earn this recognition,” said Greg Kozak, Director of Sustainability. “Northwestern’s STARS Gold Rating underscores our commitment to integrate sustainability into our culture and campus operations. This achievement was truly an institution-wide effort with contributions from across the entire Northwestern community.”
“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Northwestern has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”
With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, AASHE's STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership. Unlike other rating or ranking systems, STARS is open to institutions of higher education only, and the criteria used to determine an institution’s sustainability rating are transparent and accessible to anyone.
Northwestern’s STARS application contained information on sustainability-related programs and accomplishments shared from across 45+ departments, outside vendors, and all schools on the Evanston and Chicago campuses.
Northwestern’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.
About AASHE:
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org.
For more information about the STARS program, visit stars.aashe.org.