Education  February 6, 2020

CSU honored for sustainability

FORT COLLINS — Colorado State University was recently awarded a platinum rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education under the association’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System.

STARS, according to a CSU news release, measures more than 1,000 individual data points across four categories: academics and research, engagement, operations, and planning and administration. 

This year marks the third time the school has received a platinum rating. CSU is the only institution ever awarded three such ratings, the release said.

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“To earn a third platinum rating with the best STARS score in the U.S. is incredible recognition of all the work done by the faculty, staff and students of Colorado State University. Sustainability is a true community effort, and we at CSU take sustainability as a point of pride in everything we do,” CSU president Joyce McConnell said in a prepared statement. “I want to thank everyone at Colorado State who had a hand in helping our institution reach this impressive benchmark, and I also ask that everyone keep working. Sustainability is not a plateau where we can say ‘we’ve done enough.’ There are areas where we can improve and become an even more sustainable place to learn and discover.” 

Sustainability efforts highlighted by CSU include:

  • 18 solar installations that generate more than 10 million kWh/year of electricity across campus.
  • Since 2017, the university has added more than 335,000 square feet of new LEED Platinum- or Gold-certified classrooms, research space and offices. 
  • 80 percent of all campus academic departments have at least one faculty or staff member conducting sustainability research.

Ken Amundson
Ken Amundson is managing editor of BizWest. He has lived in Loveland and reported on issues in the region since 1987. Prior to Colorado, he reported and edited for news organizations in Minnesota and Iowa. He's a parent of two and grandparent of four, all of whom make their homes on the Front Range. A news junkie at heart, he also enjoys competitive sports, especially the Rapids.
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