As a public research, land and sea grant university, UConn is home to Centers for Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Geosciences, Clean Energy Engineering, Land Use Education & Research, Energy & Environmental Law, the Rankin Marine Sciences Laboratory, and the new CT Institute for Resiliency and Climate Adaptation. The University offers multiple BS degrees in Environmental Sciences and Engineering, a BA in Environmental Studies, and a unique new LLM in Energy & Environmental Law, all of which are supported by more than 600 sustainability-related courses. In furtherance of its Climate Action Plan, UConn recently completed retro-commissioning of 19 of its most energy-intensive buildings, along with retrofitted lighting and sensors at 115 buildings, together saving more than $2 million a year in energy costs and reducing the University’s carbon footprint by 17,000 tons. In 2014, ultra-efficient LED, Dark Skies-compliant lighting became UConn’s standard for indoor and outdoor lighting retrofits, which were implemented at dozens more facilities, including a remote parking lot and high-visibility arenas for its defending NCAA champion basketball and field hockey teams. For the second consecutive year, UConn received the first-place state Power of Change Award for energy efficiency in public facilities. Under a long-term agreement executed in late-2013, 40 percent of UConn’s purchased electricity is comprised of renewable energy. At the main campus, the remainder of UConn’s energy is self-generated by a 25MW natural gas-fired cogeneration facility and 400kW hydrogen fuel cell, both of which are clean and efficient enough to earn renewable energy credits under state law. UConn boasts several LEED Gold and Silver certified green buildings, totaling more than 1 million square feet, including those with certification pending. A new “living laboratory” reclaimed water facility recycles treated effluent from the University’s sewage plant, conserving up to 500,000 gallons of drinking water a day and helping achieve a 26 percent reduction in campus water usage since 2005, despite a concurrent 11 percent enrollment growth. About 10 percent of UConn’s light-duty vehicle fleet is now comprised of 16 hybrids and 11 EVs, and student transit options include a robust and free shuttle bus system, along with a car-sharing and pilot bike-sharing program. In 2014, these and other green campus statistics were published in UConn’s first Sustainability Progress Report.
School Has Formal Sustainability Committee
Sustainability-focused degree available
School employs a sustainability officer
Public GHG inventory plan
% food budget spent on local/organic food
Available Transportation Alternatives
Carpool/Vanpool Matching Program
Condensed Work Week Option For Employees
Free Or Reduced Price Transit Passes And/Or Free Campus Shuttle
Incentives Or Programs To Encourage Employees To Live Close To Campus
Indoor And Secure Bike Storage, Shower Facilities, And Lockers For Bicycle Commuters
Reduced Parking Fees For Car And Van Poolers
School Adopted A Policy Prohibiting Idling
School Developed Bicycle Plan
School Offers A Telecommute Program For Employees
Data provided by Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), STARS®, as of March, 2019.
