For the eighth time in eight years, Colorado State University ranks in the upper echelon for sustainability among international doctoral institutions.
CSU is at No. 2 for 2022 in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainable Campus Index Rankings, Doctoral Institutions. That follows back-to-back No. 1 rankings, four times overall in the top spot and never finishing below fourth.
“Sustainability has been and remains a cornerstone of Colorado State University’s teaching, research and service and being ranked No. 2 in 2022 demonstrates the continued collective work of our entire institution,” CSU Interim President Rick Miranda said. “CSU considers sustainability to be woven into the fiber of who we are. We will continue our efforts to help make our world a more sustainable place.”
AASHE’s 2022 top performers list has University of California-Irvine first with 88.6 points, CSU second at 88.1, Arizona State University third with 87.1 and Cornell fourth with 86.3. CSU is the first university in the world to earn three consecutive Platinum rankings through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Ranking System (STARS).
“To be recognized as a top performer in sustainability year after year is a great honor and reflects CSU’s continued growth in sustainability-related curriculum, research, and engagement across the University and globally,” said Tonie Miyamoto, director of communications and sustainability for CSU’s Division of Student Affairs and co-chair of the President’s Sustainability Commission. “These rankings get more competitive each year and only an ongoing commitment to connecting education and outreach to real-world climate challenges keeps CSU at the forefront.”
CSU also was ranked as a top performer in several categories: Research (No. 1, tie); Curriculum (No. 2); Campus Engagement (No. 3); Public Engagement (No. 3); Wellbeing and Work (No. 7).
Miyamoto pointed to several highlights from the past year, including:
- 20 new solar arrays were installed on campus.
- The Moby Geothermal Exchange was recognized as project of the year in the Rocky Mountain region.
- CSU chemists received $25 million in federal dollars to fight plastics pollution.
- CSU’s Colorado Forest Restoration Institute received $20 million to improve forest resilience and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires
- The Student Sustainability Center launched a Patchwork Initiative to help students mend clothing and reduce waste.
- Sustainability Curriculum Innovation Grants funded seven proposals to develop new sustainability courses or integrate sustainability into existing courses.
- Electric buses were introduced for CSU routes.
- An Air Travel Offset Program launched in February.
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