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People planting in a raised bed

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

Building
Students gathered outdoors in a garden
Bank of computer monitors
Food
Kaskey Garden Greenhouse
Man holding Penn Green Dining Container
In circumstances when plastic petri dishes are necessary for laboratory work, Preston ensure that they are properly cleaned and sorted for recycling. Reducing waste of all kinds, however, is the number one goal.
Bicycles parked on Penn campus
People dancing in a garden https://www.flickr.com/photos/universityofpennsylvania/51265072545/in/album-72157719442074058/
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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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