UMBC has been recognized as a top performer in the 2022 Sustainable Campus Index, tying for second in the area of Water overall. This is UMBC's third year in a row in a top spot for this category.
A publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Campus Index recognizes top-performing sustainable colleges and universities overall and in 17 impact areas, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).
UMBC achieved top performer status by earning a high score overall and in the STARS Water related categories. The 2022 SCI is based on UMBC's 2020 AASHE STARS Report and Silver rating. It is important to note that in August 2022, UMBC recieved an AASHE STARS rating of Gold for the first time in the university's history! The 2023 SCI will utilize that report when considering UMBC for any rankings.
“Congratulations to Institution Name for their incredible sustainability accomplishments,” said AASHE’s Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Upon reading the innovative and high-impact initiatives within this report, I’m encouraged that the global sustainability transformation that we desperately need is, in fact, happening.”
UMBC's STARS reports are publicly available on the STARS website:
https://reports.aashe.org/institutions/university-of-maryland-baltimore-county-md/report/Water conservation and reuse, as well as effective rainwater management practices, maintain and protect finite groundwater supplies. Pumping, delivering and treating water is also a major driver of energy consumption. institutions reduce energy usage and the emissions associated with energy generation by conserving water. Water conservation and effective rainwater and wastewater management diminish the need for effluent discharge into local surface water supplies, which consequently improves the health of local water ecosystems. This section covers water use reduction and rainwater management.
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community. The credits included in STARS span the breadth of higher education sustainability and are organized into four categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration. All reports are publicly accessible on the STARS website. For more information, visit stars.aashe.org.
AASHE empowers higher education administrators, faculty, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. We work with and for higher education to ensure that our world's future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges. For more information, visit www.aashe.org. Follow AASHE on Facebook and Twitter.
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