University featured in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges

In The Princeton Review’s seventh annual edition of its “green guide,” the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is listed among the 361 most environmentally responsible colleges in the nation.

Factored in to this designation includes the University’s continued excellence as the region’s premier urban research institute, its commitment to build all future building projects to LEED design standards, and the successful implementation of a zero-waste initiative.

“We strongly recommend UNC Charlotte and the other fine colleges in this guide to the many environmentally-minded students who seek to study and live at green colleges,” said The Princeton Review’s Robert Franek, Senior VP-Publisher.

Franek noted the growing interest the company has seen among college-bound students in green colleges. “Among more than 10,000 teens and parents who participated in our 2016 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 61% told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the college.”

With a dedicated staff promoting and enabling sustainable practices on campus, as well as the over 330 student organizations strengthening its community, UNC Charlotte has positioned itself to continue to maintain and even grow its campus in a responsible manner.

“Many of our students come to college wanting to make a positive impact in the world, and it is our responsibility as a university to give them the tools and infrastructure they need to make that impact,” says Tyler Sytsma, the university’s sustainability coordinator.

The University continues to invest in projects that have a positive return socially, economically, and from an environmental standpoint. For example, the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) and the Sustainably Integrated Building and Sites Center are actively bringing together corporations, government agencies, students, and the university to conduct research into improved energy and water use, air quality, and productivity. Similar sustainability-focused impacts can be observed across the campus in numerous educational departments.

This distinction adds to the University’s growing list of sustainability achievements this fall. In addition to joining the Green Sports Alliance to leverage sports to promote healthy and sustainable communities, UNC Charlotte was recognized as the largest institution in the UNC system to reduce campus energy consumption by 30 percent.