URBANA, Ill. — New solar and geothermal energy projects, a reduction in water use, and wide-ranging sustainability research helped the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn its fifth consecutive Gold certification in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).
STARS — the nation’s most comprehensive sustainability rating system — is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure sustainability, run by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Based on a detailed set of criteria in 18 categories encompassing environmental, social, and economic factors, schools earn points toward one of four ratings: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.
Illinois has consistently achieved Gold certification since it began reporting data through STARS in 2013, and the 2022 score was one of its highest to date.
“We’re proud to be recognized among the world’s leaders in sustainability,” said Madhu Khanna, Interim Director of Illinois’ Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE). “Through the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP), we will continue to build on that legacy — and work toward STARS Platinum status — as we move closer to our goal of climate neutrality.
Illinois is one of 89 schools — and one of six Big Ten Conference institutions — to achieve up-to-date Gold certification in the latest 2.2 version of the STARS rating tool. More than 1,000 schools in 40 countries have participated in STARS, reporting achievements in academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership. Illinois reported extensive data on water and energy use, transportation, waste handling operations, dining services, and more, coordinated by iSEE and F&S.
Among the “points of distinction” were the completion of the university’s 54-acre Solar Farm 2.0 along Curtis Road and First Street, generating 20,000 megawatt hours per year of photovoltaic electricity on campus; a geothermal energy system for the new Campus Instructional Facility, which will provide almost 65 percent of the building’s energy demand.
To read the full news release, visit the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment website.
For information, contact:
Tony Mancuso
iSEE Communications and Public Affairs Director
tmancuso@illinois.edu
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.