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Our Progress
Penn Sustainability provides transparent, comprehensive, and university-wide reporting of our sustainability initiatives. We create annual reports from the data and metrics gathered from many academic and administrative units at Penn, often using the STARS framework. These reports aim to give our community a cohesive view of what Penn Sustainability has accomplished within the seven initiatives outlined in the University’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0:
- Academics
- Utilities and Operations
- Physical Environment
- Purchasing Practices
- Waste Minimization & Recycling
- Transportation
- Outreach & Engagement
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Progress Reports
2023 | Full Report PDF 2MB
Progress towards our climate goals
This report highlights fiscal year 2023 progress made in each of the seven initiatives of the CSAP 3.0 - designed to transform Penn towards its goals.
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STARS
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS ®) is global benchmarking tool by AASHE, enabling universities to transparently measure and report their sustainability achievements. Recognizing a broad array of institutions - from community colleges to research universities, it is instrumental in advancing sustainability initiatives from their inception to leadership stages. Penn is proud of the recognition we've received:
2021 - Gold
2018 - Gold
2014 - Silver
Find all of Penn's STARS reports on the AASHE website.
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Partners
The Penn Sustainability Office moves forward purposefully towards our campus goals in alliance with a number of other organizations.
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Our Plan
100% carbon-neutral by 2042
Penn's Climate & Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP) is our roadmap to a cleaner future.
Outlining the steps forward to achieve our University’s ambitious environmental sustainability goals, CSAP challenges the ingenuity and commitment of Penn. One such goal, a 100% carbon-neutral campus by 2042, is audacious yet achievable through the many programs and initiatives championed by Penn Sustainability.
The CSAP would not be possible without the unwavering commitment of our faculty, students, and staff in solving environmental issues. Every five years a new update to the original Climate Action Plan (circa 2009) is released. And, benchmarks and expectations grow with every new plan released.
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Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 3.0
The third iteration of our Climate and Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP) represents a marker in Penn’s remarkable transformation into one of the world’s premier teaching and research institutions.
We have been fueled by enormous growth in capabilities, means, and influence, and Penn will continue to lead in the environmental field. Inclusive climate change scholarships, innovative policy formation, and the adoption of best practices continue to dramatically impact our campus efficiency and reduce emissions.
Our Goals
Penn is actively combating climate change, adapting to environmental shifts, and preparing our university and students to excel in a dynamic world. Our goals are:
- Boost Penn's sustainability research and student involvement
- Reduce carbon emissions, promote renewable energy
- Adopt circular economy to minimize waste
- Choose sustainability in operations and transportation
- Engage Penn community in climate/sustainability goals
Since launching the first Climate Action Plan in 2009, Penn has seen significant progress, notably in student and faculty engagement. The Sustainability Office's accurate reporting aids decision-making, leading to enhanced energy efficiency, carbon reduction, workflow optimization, cost management, and investment prioritization.
Progress highlights
Built Environment
- Certification of Penn's main academic campus as a Level II Arboretum and the adoption of LEED Silver minimum standards
Climate & Energy
- Building-related emissions reductions of over 40% (a result of on-campus conservation strategies plus a lower-carbon energy supply)
- A solar power purchase agreement which offset ~70% of the main campus and health system electricity with renewable energy
Engagement
- Recognition of individuals and teams across Penn who develop innovative ideas to improve purchasing sustainability
- Continued engagement and education of the campus community through social media, newsletters, Climate Week and Earth Week campaigns, and affinity groups
Recycling & Waste
- Over 20% waste diversion rate due to innovative purchasing and diversion strategies
Teaching & Learning
- Expansion of scholarship, research, and course offerings on sustainability, including 8 new environmentally-focused academic centers
Transportation
- The addition of 4 electric vans to our transit fleet by Penn Parking and Transportation
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Penn Sustainability: Join us as we continue to live, lead, and learn by example
Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 unites our entire University community in a common mission of environmental stewardship through deliberate assessment, analysis, and planning. Penn is taking action to mitigate climate impacts, adapt to emerging environmental conditions, and prepare our university—and our students—to lead in a rapidly evolving world.
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Join the movement
Penn's plan pushes our community to innovate and shrink our ecological footprint. We prioritize environmental health and resilience, aiming for a remarkable 100x42 carbon neutrality pledge.
With our resources, expertise, and dedication, this audacious goal is within reach. The CSAP 3.0 turns ambitions into action and shared values into accomplishments. Together, we can secure a sustainable future.
Join the movement
Penn's plan pushes our community to innovate and shrink our ecological footprint. We prioritize environmental health and resilience, aiming for a remarkable 100x42 carbon neutrality pledge.
With our resources, expertise, and dedication, this audacious goal is within reach. The CSAP 3.0 turns ambitions into action and shared values into accomplishments. Together, we can secure a sustainable future.
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Teaching & Research
Complex challenges such as climate change and loss of biodiversity require collaborative solutions. The Environmental Innovations Initiative is dedicated to leveraging the considerable academic strengths of the University of Pennsylvania to meaningfully impact the critical environmental challenges of our time and foster impact-oriented connections between disciplines. Launched in 2020 and housed in the Office of the Provost, the Initiative is built around a vision of informing the transition to a more resilient society and fostering harmony with nature.
Through its inclusive and dynamic programming, seed funding, and interactive tools, it has facilitated collaboration across disciplines, formed strategic alliances with external partners, and elevated the visibility of Penn’s assets. The Initiative and Penn Sustainability collaborate to support the academic components of the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan, promote environmental literacy and action through campus-wide events like Earth Week and Climate Week, and ensure sustainability throughout both the operations and the scholarship of the University’s schools and centers.
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Centers
Many of Penn’s diverse and dynamic institutes, centers, initiatives, and offices foster collaboration around environmental challenges, each bringing their own perspective and working at a variety of scales, from the local to the global.
Course Inventory
A searchable course inventory, developed by the Environmental Innovations Initiative, documents offerings for undergraduate and graduate students related to the environment and is updated regularly.
Degrees & Concentrations
Students at Penn have a wealth of choices when it comes to selecting degrees, concentrations, and certificates related to sustainability and environmental topics. The Initiative has collected a curated list of these opportunities, representing offerings within all 12 Schools.
Academic Climate Commitments
In 2022, each of Penn’s 12 Schools launched its own academic climate commitment. Tailored to the disciplines of the schools, these statements showcase pathways to integrate sustainability into any professional pathway. As a facet of this, the Environmental Innovations Initiative has curated a growing list of selecting degrees, concentrations, and certificates related to sustainability.
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Sustainability Coursework at Penn
No matter what their course of study, Penn students can help infuse principles of environmental sustainability into existing and new courses.
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Our Progress
$140,000
The Environmental Innovations Initiative distributed more than $140,000 to support transdisciplinary research communities in 2023-24.
4278
Students enrolled in environment-related courses in the 2022-2023 academic year.
1110
Faculty members do research linked to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
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Contact
Penn Sustainability Office
Please visit our FAQs page first to see if your question is answered there. If not, contact us with any questions, concerns, suggestions, or ideas you may have about sustainability initiatives at Penn.
Email: sustainability@upenn.edu
Share Your Sustainability Story
We want to hear about what you're doing on campus! Let us know what you're up to and share your sustainability story with the Penn Sustainability Office.
Email: sustainability@upenn.edu
Media Inquiries
Please direct all requests for interviews, photography, video, or opportunities to speak or present to the Communications Team at:
Email: sustainability@upenn.edu
Data Requests
For sustainability data, send your request via email and include details and scope of the information you are requesting. If the data is not readily available or not hosted by the Penn Sustainability Office, our office will provide you with the information on the process or the best campus contact to provide support.
Email: sustainability@upenn.edu
Get Involved
Join the movement and shape the future of Penn Sustainability. Across campus, students, faculty, and staff are acting as catalysts for change. Through transformative actions, we can fight climate change and advance a healthy, equitable environment both on the campus and beyond.
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Browse by Audience
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Opportunities
Your role is calling you. Explore Penn Sustainability opportunities both on and off campus.
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students
Student Eco-Reps
Calling all Penn undergraduates interested in advancing campus sustainability. This program is for you! Student Eco-Reps is a sustainability leadership program where students work with experts to lead hands-on solution-oriented projects.
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“During pre-orientation, I took part in PennGreen. We went on camping trips, visited sustainable businesses in Philadelphia, and met with professors and people from the Penn Sustainability Office. It was a great experience, and I am now a leader for the Eco-Reps group.”
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About Penn Sustainability
Penn’s core mission is to advance the betterment of the human condition. We do this through research to create new knowledge and by educating students to be engaged and informed community members. Recognized as a globally renowned research university, Penn’s sustainability initiatives are an integral facet of our work for the global good.
A university-wide, collaborative initiative, Penn Sustainability fosters innovation for social, environmental, and economic change. Penn Sustainability involves the university’s 12 schools and the operations and administrations that oversee programs working toward a sustainable, healthy, and vibrant campus. Acting as a hub, Penn Sustainability amplifies accomplishments, reports on progress, and provides resources and engagement opportunities for staff, students, and faculty.
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Climate & Sustainability Action Plan
The Climate & Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP) acts as a roadmap for Penn’s leaps and bounds in sustainability. The plan is a framework to guide sustainable initiatives working toward ambitious goals. It’s a logistical and technical complexity, only achievable with the passion and dedication of the faculty, students, and staff who are committed to its success.
100 x 42: A Campus-wide Audacious Goal
Penn’s goal, a 100% carbon-neutral campus by 2042, is one of transformation and dedication. With this commitment, Penn not only strives to reshape our campus but also aims to provide replicable best practices to address the pervasive global climate crisis. This ambitious target, a goal we’re calling 100 x 42, serves as a catalyst for change, inviting the brilliance, resilience, and unwavering spirit of Penn's faculty, staff, and students, especially partners within Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES) and the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee’s (ESAC) Utilities and Operations Subcommittee.
A Committee with a Mission
In 2007, Penn signed the President's Climate Commitment tasking us to develop a plan for our carbon reduction goals. The Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC), a cross-campus collaboration, was formed to accomplish these goals. The recommendations ESAC subcommittees developed now serve as the backbone of Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0.
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Our Progress
17
Years of work at Penn culminating in significant advancements in sustainability.
45%
Reduction in overall campus emissions since our 2009 baseline year, significantly reducing our environmental footprint.
$200
In millions, Century Bond funds earmarked for projects that combine deep energy retrofits, deferred maintenance, and sustainability.
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Partners
Penn’s sustainability success is only achievable through collaboration. We work with partners across departments, disciplines, centers, and groups whose depths allow us to reach new heights.
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Campus Initiatives
Walk the grounds to see Penn’s Climate & Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP) in action. Sustainability is embedded into nearly every facet of our campus. It weaves seamlessly through the built environment to the natural environment, what we purchase, the food we eat, and how we engage with our wider community.
A natural haven in the heart of West Philadelphia, the Penn campus is a welcome, organic respite. As a level-2 certified arboretum with a third of the campus designated as green space, Penn’s landscape brings biodiverse benefits to an urban environment. Penn’s Campus Initiatives' reduce our ecological footprint while prioritizing health and resiliency.
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Our Initiatives
Built Environment
To transform our nearly 300-year-old campus into a sustainable community, we focus on proactive, optimized building operations and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, all with cutting-edge new construction. With a focus on enhancing green space, upgrading utility systems, and charting a forward-thinking strategy, we're creating a campus that's as beautiful as it is sustainable.
Civic Engagement
The catalysts for positive impact, Penn's community sparks change that reverberates locally and globally. Through partnerships and collaborations, we are empowering communities and creating a more equitable and sustainable world.
Climate & Energy
Penn's Climate & Energy Initiatives fuel a carbon-neutral future. By leveraging our academic expertise, research capabilities, and operational practices, we are not only reducing our own carbon footprint but also shaping a broader discourse on sustainability. With audacious goals and tangible actions, we're combating climate change and securing a sustainable tomorrow.
Food
A responsible and nourishing food system on campus paves the way for a sustainable future. From respecting farmers, workers, and animals to replenishing our natural resources, we’re sowing seeds that will flourish into the future.
Natural Environment
Penn Natural Environment Initiatives ensure harmony between the urban environment we’re situated in and the natural landscape we have nurtured. Our trees, soils, and wildlife contribute to and interact with an environment that does not end at the campus borders.
Procurement
All of Penn’s purchasing decisions have an impact. Sustainable procurement acts as a framework for responsible, conscious purchasing. By identifying impact areas and making conscious choices, we're building an environmentally and socially resilient campus, one sustainable decision at a time.
Recycling & Waste
Penn’s Recycling & Waste Initiatives are aligned with global trends and innovating at a local scale. From embracing circular economy principles to championing specialty recycling and compost programs, we're shaping a zero-waste future.
Transportation
Paving the way for commuters, Penn’s Transportation Initiatives create sustainable access to the campus. From transit options to cycling and walking infrastructure, we're powering commuters with eco-friendly choices and resources.
Wellness
Penn seeks to foster a campus experience that embraces holistic well-being by integrating science, theory, and practice. Penn’s Wellness Initiatives recognize the personal and environmental intersections of wellness.
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Our Progress
17
Years of work at Penn culminating in significant advancements in sustainability.
45%
Reduction in overall campus emissions since our 2009 baseline year, significantly reducing our environmental footprint.
$200
In millions, Century Bond funds earmarked for projects that combine deep energy retrofits, deferred maintenance, and sustainability.
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