UW–Madison Earns an “A” for Sustainability Efforts
UW–Madison received an A — the highest possible grade — in a national college sustainability ranking released in October. The grade makes UW-Madison one of just seven schools, out of 322 campuses surveyed across the United States and Canada, to receive top marks on the College Sustainability Report Card 2011, an independent ranking prepared by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. The UW was also named an Overall College Sustainability Leader for its high score.
Schools were graded on 52 sustainability indicators across nine equally weighted categories: administration, climate change and energy, food and recycling, green building, transportation, student involvement, endowment transparency, investment priorities, and shareholder engagement. UW–Madison earned As in eight of the nine categories and a B in food and recycling.
The report card specifically highlights a new campuswide Sustainability Initiative, a 24 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2006, sustainability efforts of numerous campus units, and the accomplishments of the We Conserve initiative.