News

After a two-year absence, Bike to Work Day returns to Penn’s campus on Friday, May 20.  From 7:30 – 9:30 a.m., Penn bicyclists are invited to stop by the Energizer Station near the Penn Museum Indego Bike Share Station, at the corner of 33^rd and South streets, to learn about various bike resources...

For the thirteenth year in a row, Penn has been named a Tree Campus Higher Education (formerly known as Tree Campus USA) by the Arbor Day Foundation. The Tree Campus Higher Education program recognizes college and university campuses that effectively manage their campus trees. To continually obtain...

The University of Pennsylvania has been selected as a finalist for the 2022 International Green Gown Awards for Creating Impact for its work in offsetting air emissions. The International Green Gown Awards are supported by UN Environment and seek to recognize exceptional sustainability initiatives...

The University of Pennsylvania announces that construction has begun on the solar energy project that is part of its Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed in April 2020.  This PPA moves the University significantly closer to meeting its commitment of a 100% carbon neutral campus by 2042, as outlined...

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Penn Labs Freezer Challenge! Thank you to all labs who participated in our second annual freezer challenge. The Freezer Challenge is part of the International Freezer Challenge supported by My Green Labs and the International Institute for Sustainable...

Are you interested in learning more about the trees and plants on Penn's campus? Or, as the weather warms, in spending more time with friends outdoors? The Penn Plant Explorer Interactive website is an excellent resource for anyone looking to get outside, discover campus gardens, or find a quiet...

Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Penn Sustainability is planning a week of events and educational opportunities to celebrate our dedication to social, environmental, and economic sustainability at the University of...

Penn Sustainability is producing a video series to illustrate some of the key programs in the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0. Released primarily on our social media channels, two videos have been released to date, Utilities & Operations and Procurement. Watch these fun short clips about...

You asked, we listened! Penn Dining and Penn Sustainability are teaming up to provide more ways for students to return used Green2Go containers. You can drop off your used Green2Go containers in the designated carts or bins at locations across campus, including various dining halls and public spaces...

PennMoves will be making its return in Move-Out 2022! The annual program, managed by Residential & Hospitality Services in collaboration with Goodwill, provides an opportunity for Penn students to donate unwanted items such as clothing, appliances, furniture, and more before they return home for the...

Did you know that Americans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, according to the EPA?

The 30x30 Challenge is an effort to encourage the Penn community to get outside, learn about local ecology, and appreciate the beauty of nature. Join Penn's 30x30 Challenge and challenge yourself to...

In partnership with the Office of Social Equity & Community and University City (UC) Green, Penn Sustainability hosted the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Environmental Justice event on Thursday, January 20, 2022. Kiasha Huling, Director of UC Green; Lori Hayes, Director of Urban Forestry at the...

Join the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology (VIEST) for Energy Week at Penn taking place April 4th – 8th! Various events will be hosted throughout the week; including a keynote by author Kim Stanley Robinson, a panel on energy and indigenous...

To encourage the continual ‘greening’ of our communities in the Greater Philadelphia area, Penn will once again partner with TreePhilly, a program of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy, for the Creating Canopy tree giveaway.

Each year, a limited number of free...

The Environmental Innovations Initiative was launched in 2019 to meaningfully impact the critical environmental challenges of our time, particularly climate change, biodiversity loss, and human vulnerability. To accomplish this, the Initiative will bring together scholars, leaders, practitioners...

It’s time for all of us to get outside! 

Sign up for Penn’s 30x30 Challenge and get outdoors for at least 30 minutes per day in April.

Did you know that Americans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, according to the EPA? Over the last decade, researchers have been documenting what many...

The University of Pennsylvania has completed its STARS survey for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and has received a Gold Rating for its 2021 submission. The STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System) survey is a comprehensive...

Did you know that air travel alone typically makes up approximately 10% of Penn’s main campus carbon footprint? This travel emits nearly 20,000 metric tons of CO2 per year — enough to power more than 2,000 homes for one year.

To address Penn’s air travel carbon footprint, an Air Travel Working...

This new resource is intended to be a straightforward, easy-to-use document that provides purchasers considering electric vehicles with:

• A general understanding of the concepts and benefits of purchasing low- or zero-emissions vehicles
• Resources for funding
• Recommended vehicle options...

Penn students are actively engaged in how sustainability is taught at Penn and how it is activated in the City of Philadelphia through two programs, Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum (ISAC) and the Civic Sustainability Fellows. In August, students participating in these programs...

Nearly 35 Penn organizations collaborated to host Climate Week 2021, September 20-24. A mix of virtual and in-person activities were held in order to maintain social distancing, but also to make this important content available to a wider audience. A number of webinars and panels were recorded and c...

It’s hard to believe that the Green2Go food containers offered by Penn Dining started as a Green Fund project in 2013. Since then, the program of reusable dining containers has expanded and improved and is now widely available in all campus dining halls. These to-go food containers that can be...

Migratory bird populations as well as those feathered friends who are our West Philadelphia neighbors are getting increased consideration in Penn’s built environment. Studies show that birds are often unable to recognize the see-through and sky-reflecting glass of urban buildings, crashing into them...

Five recently completed campus construction projects received LEED recognition —  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design  is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.

The renovation of the upper floors of Wharton's Vance Hall was awarded LEED Gold, scoring high points...

In August 2020, Building Energy Management Plans were completed for the top 30 buildings with opportunities to improve energy use. Thirteen recommissioning energy assessments have been completed. Penn has reduced its overall emissions by 44.3% in FY21 and the University continues to meet its...

Penn’s campus waste is far more than just trash and recycling. Composting is widely available, yet collection points vary from building to building. On our large academic and research campus with health care facilities and ongoing construction projects, we also have medical waste, protective gloves...

Penn is now accepting flexible plastic packaging through our single-stream recycling hauler! Effective immediately, you can simply put the accepted flexible plastic packaging materials in the same blue recycling container as paper, glass, aluminum, and other rigid plastics. You will not need to...

Progress through FY21 on the 2019 University-wide Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 environmental goals.

Download a PDF of our September 2021 Green Tip about getting involved with Climate Week!

The numerous labs on campus provide a prime opportunity to reduce our environmental impact and help us reach the goals set forth in Penn’s Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0. The Green Labs program aims to reduce the environmental footprint of Penn's labs in areas like energy, water, and...