University Gets High Marks for ‘Green’ Efforts

New Haven, Conn. — Summer may be coming to an end, but Yale’s campus keeps getting greener — and people are taking notice.

The University recently made The Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll, was named one of the top 20 “coolest schools” for its sustainability efforts by Sierra magazine, and appeared on TreeHugger’s list of the 10 greenest colleges in the United States.

Achieved maximum rating
Yale was one of 15 colleges to score the maximum possible rating of 99 points in The Princeton Review’s second annual Green Ratings.

The company evaluated 697 institutions based on their environmental practices, policies and course offerings; it scored each school on a scale from 60 to 99 points. The ratings took into account factors such as energy use, recycling, food, buildings, transportation, academic programs, and action plans and goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“The ‘green’ movement on college campuses is far more than an Earth Day recycling project,” said Robert Franek, vice president and publisher of The Princeton Review. “It is growing tremendously among students and administrators alike.”

Franek also noted that of the nearly 16,000 college applicants and parents of applicants surveyed for the company’s annual “College Hopes & Worries Survey,” 68% of students and 59% of parents showed interest in schools’ commitment to the environment - a 4% increase from last year’s survey.

The complete list of the 15 colleges that made The Princeton Review’s green honor roll is online at www.princetonreview.com/green-honor-roll.aspx.


Sierra’s top 20 ‘coolest schools’
Yale also made it onto Sierra magazine’s list of the top 20 “coolest schools,” featured in the magazine’s September/October cover story, for its efforts to stop global warming and operate sustainably. Yale came in 14th on the list for such efforts as its sustainable dining program, LEED-certified buildings, co-generation power plant, and solar and wind renewable energy projects.

“We’re thrilled to see Yale University making a real commitment to greening its campus,” said Carl Pope, the Sierra Club’s executive director. “The next generation of students cares deeply about stopping global warming, and schools like Yale that take the initiative to become environmentally responsible are doing the right thing for the planet and are better poised to attract the best students.”

The complete list of Sierra magazine’s top 20 “coolest schools” is available online at www.sierraclub.org/coolschools.

TreeHugger, considered by many to be the preeminent website for environmental and sustainability news, also included Yale in its recent list of the nation’s 10 greenest colleges. The website applauded the University’s goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, along with its Zipcar program, fuel cells and commitment to “hiring the brightest green leaders today.” All in all, concludes the citation, “Yale had earned its green distinction hands down.”

Check out TreeHugger’s list of the 10 greenest colleges in the United States at www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/08/10-of-the-greenest-colleges-in-the-us.php.