Skip to Navigation
University of Pittsburgh
Print This Page Print this pages

September 15, 2011

“Green” efforts place Pitt No. 52 in Sierra Magazine rankings

SO11-COVER-225Pitt’s green efforts have placed the University at No. 52 out of 118 institutions in Sierra Magazine’s annual list of “coolest schools,” which ranks the nation’s colleges and universities according to their environmental practices and sustainability-oriented education.

Pitt scored 60 out of 100 possible points. The University of Washington topped the list with 81.2 points.

According to the survey authors, “The magazine’s ranking acts as a guide for prospective students who seek a way to compare colleges based on commitment to environmentalism.”

Laura Zullo, Facilities Management’s senior manager of energy initiatives, said she was pleased the University placed in the middle of the pack among schools interested in sustainability, especially given that this was Pitt’s first year participating in the survey.

She said inquiries from faculty members who had not seen Pitt listed in previous years prompted her to complete the survey for this year’s ranking.

Zullo provided Pitt’s data for the 12-page questionnaire on which the magazine’s ranking is based, with help from the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, Sodexo and the Parking, Transportation and Services and Purchasing departments.

Questions focus on environmental achievements and goals in 10 categories, each worth up to 10 points.

• Pitt earned a 2.5 in the energy supply category, which inquires about sources of power and heating. Scoring in that category takes into account renewable energy resources, Zullo said, adding that although Pitt’s buildings are heated solely using natural gas, the University’s major electric supplier, Duquesne Light, depends heavily on coal-based power generation.

• Pitt earned a 6 in the efficiency category, which asks about LEED certification, water reclamation and energy efficiency.

• Pitt earned a 5 in the food category, which inquired about the use of locally grown and organic food, availability of vegan/vegetarian options and commitment to practices such as composting and the use of sustainable seafood sources.

• Pitt earned a 7 in academics, which takes into account the availability of sustainability or environmentally oriented majors, courses and centers.

• Pitt earned an 8 in the purchasing category, which rates sustainable purchasing practices, waste minimization, use of recycled paper and energy-saving equipment.

• Pitt earned a 7.5 in transportation, which takes into account schools’ promotion of walking and bicycle commuting, carpooling and public transit, the availability of free shuttles and use of alternative fuel vehicles.

• Pitt earned a 7 in the waste management category, which asks about waste reduction efforts including recycling and composting. The University reported that 41.3 percent of Pitt’s campus waste was diverted from landfills.

• Pitt earned a 5 in the administration category, which awards points for such practices as including sustainability as part of schools’ mission statements, commitment to greenhouse gas emission reductions and the existence of a sustainability coordinator and/or committee.

• Pitt earned a 2 in the financial investments category, which, in part, awards points to schools that have policies for considering environmental or sustainability factors in their investments.

• Pitt earned a perfect 10 in the catch-all “other initiatives” category, in which the University cited various projects including Falk School’s habitat enhancement and restoration project  (see June 23 University Times), indoor air quality initiatives, participation in RecycleMania and other sustainability initiatives, and the availability of field-based study including at the Pymatuning Ecology Laboratory and the Allen L. Cook Spring Creek Reserve in Wyoming, property that was a gift to the University in 2005.

The full report, including schools’ responses, can be viewed at www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201109/coolschools.

—Kimberly K. Barlow

Filed under: Feature,Volume 44 Issue 2

Leave a Reply