Status Report

Santa Clara University Achievements

Santa Clara University is on its way towards becoming a carbon neutral campus. To date, the following are some achievements:

• Since 2000, there has been a 27 percent increase in campus building area but only a 3 percent increase in total energy consumption. The new Learning Commons and Library is almost twice the size of Orradre Library but is expected to run on the same amount of energy.
• Roughly 30 percent of University energy savings prior to 2006 were from lighting retrofits since 1997.
• Father Locatelli has signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, pledging to develop a plan to achieve campus climate neutrality.
• SCU has committed to reduce CO₂ emissions 20 percent below 1997 levels by 2010. In FY 2006, annual CO₂ emissions were 18,551 tons, requiring a 34 percent decrease of present emissions.
• SCU funds 8,040 megawatt-hours of renewable energy—equivalent to the annual output of two and a half large-scale wind turbines.

College Rankings

• Kaplan College Guide: Named SCU one of the Top 20 Environmentally Responsible Colleges
• Princeton Review: SCU earned a rating of 96 out of 99 points in their "green ratings." SCU tied for the No. 2 spot of all universities rated in California.
• Kiwi Magazine : Included SCU as one of "50 schools that will help your kids help the planet."
• Sustainable Endowments Institute: Gave SCU a B in 2009, improved from a B- in 2008

Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS)

Santa Clara University is a Charter Participant in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, & Rating System (STARS), administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). AASHE’s STARS program is the only one of its kind that involves publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in three overall areas: 1) education & research, 2) operations, and 3) planning, administration & engagement. SCU earned a Silver STARS rating in January 2011. Read Santa Clara University's STARS report. » Info