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Solar panels on athletics practice facility

Sustainability is Embedded in Our Campus Life

Learn how CU Boulder demonstrates our commitment to sustainable solutions.
 

Send Us Your Sustainability Ideas

“Our goal is nothing less than being the global leader in sustainability – and that aspiration carries with it great responsibility to advance on all fronts …”

- Chancellor Phil DiStefano 

Home

Academics

474 related courses

329 faculty researchers

Operations

26 LEED buildings

35% increase in waste diversion since 2011

Engagement

250 lab, office & hall eco-leaders

40 active student groups

Highlighted Programs 

 

Masters of the Environment students at Commencement

Masters of the Environment

Students in the Hannigan Lab

Environmental Engineering

Researcher climbing up a ship out on the ocean.

Research & Innovation

Student working in the Recycling Center

Recycling Center

Female student working in a lab.

Green Labs

ATLAS building with mountains in the background.

Green Buildings

CU Boulder mascot Chip helping a student with their bike.

Environmental Center

Ralphie's Green Stampede student volunteers at a CU basketball game.

Ralphie's Green Stampede

EcoReps looking at plants in a greenhouse.

Housing EcoReps

See All Programs

Students Value Sustainablity

We surveyed our student body, and here's what they had to say.

Source: Fall 2017 student sustainability survey

95% of students say climate change is a concern for their generation.

 

80% of students consider their carbon footprint to be low. 95% of students say they would like to have a lower carbon footprint.

 

92% of students state that it is important that CU Boulder has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

 

40% of students report they chose CU in part because of its sustainability reputation.

Committed to Higher Standards

Here are just some of the goals set to make campus greener.

 

Goal: Increase campus diversion rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) to 90% by 2025.

Progress
CU Boulder achieved a fiscal year 2018 diversion rate of 51%. Achieving success will mean utilizing the increased capacity of the Grounds & Recycling Operations Center, increasing our composting of pre- and post-consumer food waste in the dining halls, and improving campus infrastructure that promotes zero-waste behavior.

 

Goal: All new buildings will meet or surpass a LEED Gold “Plus” rating.

Progress
In 2004, students at CU-Boulder agreed to use student fees to construct four new buildings, with the stipulation that all reached a minimum LEED Silver rating. Since then the university has mandated that all new buildings meet a LEED Gold “Plus” rating, which meets LEED Gold standards while taking extra measures regarding net-zero energy, waste reduction, and water conservation. Currently, 22% of campus operates under LEED standards.

Goal: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020, based on a 2005 baseline.

Progress
Greenhouse gas emissions have flatlined in recent years; since 2015 greenhouse gas emissions have been projected to decrease by more than 16,000 metric tons equivalent of CO2 each year. This is due in part to projects like the renovation of our cogeneration facilities and the installation of the 500 kW solar farm on East Campus.

Explore by Theme

 

Infrastructure

Energy

Food/Housing

Transportation

Waste

Our Legacy

 

A member of the Green Team using a bike to transport waste baskets on campus.

Nation's first student-led environmental center

STARS Logo

Nation's first STARS Gold sustainability rating

Students working in the recycling center.

Nation's first student-led recycle program

More About Our Legacy

Campus Sustainability Map

 

Campus map showing all sustainable resources available.

News

 

Image of a riverbed during drought

New website a 1-stop NOAA resource for all things drought

NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System has launched a redesigned drought portal to better serve stakeholders, decision makers, journalists and the public. Several CU Boulder researchers contributed to the project. Read more
Hand holding a corn cob

Soil degradation costs U.S. corn farmers a half-billion dollars every year

Researchers have found that a whopping one-third of the fertilizer applied to grow corn in the U.S. each year simply compensates for the ongoing loss of soil fertility, costing farmers a half-billion dollars. Read more
Two pairs of cyanobacteria cells dividing under the microscope.

Modern microbes provide window into ancient ocean

Roughly two billion years ago, microorganisms called cyanobacteria fundamentally transformed the globe. Researchers are now stepping back to that pivotal moment in Earth's history. Read more
Read more at CU Boulder Today

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