CU Boulder has been awarded Sustainability Institution of the Year by the International Green Gown Awards, making it the first U.S. institution to receive the prestigious international honor recognizing universities that demonstrate a sustained, institution-wide commitment to sustainability and meaningful progress across their operations, academics and engagement with their communities.

Presented by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), the Green Gown Awards celebrate sustainability leadership across higher education worldwide. Since 2014, the awards have recognized institutions and projects that are helping transform the role of higher education in addressing environmental and social challenges.

The judges recognized CU Boulder’s holistic approach, which integrates sustainability into research, education, campus operations, governance and community engagement, along with its progress in tracking and reporting measurable outcomes.

“This recognition is a reflection of the fact that sustainability at CU Boulder is a team sport,” said Andrew Mayock, vice chancellor of sustainability at CU Boulder. “It is the result of a community-wide commitment to making sustainability part of how we teach, how we conduct research, how we operate our campus and how we engage with the world around us.”

International Green Gown Awards 2026 Winner badge

This approach was showcased by CU Boulder’s long history of sustainability leadership, from world-class climate science research to sustainability-focused curriculum across colleges and departments, accelerated by the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education. CU Boulder is also home to the nation’s oldest student-driven environmental center, is one of the most bike-friendly campuses in the nation, has eliminated single-use plastics in dining halls and campuswide and has a 50-year history of student-led campus recycling efforts.

More recent efforts include an ambitious climate action plan, Boulder Climate Ventures and a growing portfolio of sustainability-related research, innovation and spinouts. CU Boulder also partners with businesses, organizations and peers in Boulder, Colorado, the U.S. and globally to develop collaborative approaches to climate change and sustainability-related issues. For example, CU Boulder partners with the University of California, Los Angeles, on managing the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force, which works in 11 countries, across 54 states and provinces, and covers one-third of the world’s tropical forests. (The GCF Task Force Secretariat is based out of UCLA, Los Angeles, in collaboration with CU Boulder.)

The recognition comes during CU Boulder’s 150th anniversary year, a milestone that Chancellor Justin Schwartz said makes the award particularly meaningful.

“Receiving the Green Gown Award during CU Boulder’s 150th anniversary is especially meaningful because it honors our history and defines our future,” Schwartz said. “This recognition reflects the dedication of an entire community, our faculty, staff, students and partners—all who believe higher education must lead on the defining challenges of our time. I am grateful for their dedication and proud of how CU Boulder continues to integrate sustainability into our teaching, research, operations and public mission.”

CU Boulder joins past recipients such as McGill University and the University of Technology Sydney as an international leader in sustainability. This year’s Green Gown Award winners represent institutions and initiatives from 18 countries across six continents.

The Sustainability Institution of the Year award is determined through a two-stage application and judging process involving experts from leading sustainability and higher education organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Association of Universities (IAU) and Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

CU Boulder plans to build on its institutional foundation and history tied to sustainability, growing the university’s impact on campus and beyond by educating the climate leaders of tomorrow and investing in research, innovation and collaborative partnerships to drive real-time action and change.