News

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our August 2020 Green Tip promoting bicycling!

This is a re-posting of a story originally authored by Audubon Pennsylvania. Creating Bird-Friendly Buildings is one of three key elements of Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Communities program. Each year, as many as one billion birds in the U.S. collide with windows and most of these birds die from their...

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our July 2020 Green Tip with sustainability tips for the summer!

As researchers begin to return to campus, Penn Sustainability would like to share a few tips for staying green while also staying safe! Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF with green labs tips.

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our June 2020 Green Tip with sustainable purchasing tips!

The University of Pennsylvania has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the creation of a solar power project moving the University significantly closer to meeting its commitment of a 100% carbon neutral campus by 2042, as outlined in the Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 3.0. This article...

In this feature, Penn Today explores how nature can improve personal well-being in normal life and in times of crisis. Campus initiatives led by the sustainability office like NatureRX@Penn, that "prescribes" time in nature, and the 30x30 Challenge, which encourages participants to spend 30 minutes...

"The Earth Day Project" is an online exhibition of archival photos and articles exploring the history of the first Earth Day celebration in Philadelphia, on April 22, 1970. Student activists at Penn played a major role in organizing Philadelphia's first Earth Day festivities, and to create the...

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our May 2020 Green Tip about sustainable tips for cooking at home!

On April 17, Penn's Student Eco-Reps and University partners showcased year-long campus sustainability projects via an online meeting. View their presentations on the Penn Sustainability YouTube channel. Project topics included: Energy dashboard in the high rises Urban Park lichen as a bio-indicator...

Call for nominations are now open for Penn’s Green Purchasing Awards. Now in its sixth year, the program is held in conjunction with the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC) Purchasing Subcommittee and Penn Sustainability. This award recognizes the leading actions of any individual...

“You may delay, but time will not.” – Ben Franklin These words from Penn’s founder resound today as we consider our University’s efforts to respond to climate change. In October 2019, Penn introduced its new Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0, an update of our roadmap towards environmental...

For the eleventh year in a row, Penn has been named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The Tree Campus USA program recognizes college and university campuses that effectively manage their campus trees. To continually obtain this distinction, University of Pennsylvania has met the five...

The University of Pennsylvania has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the creation of a solar power project moving the University significantly closer to meeting its commitment of a 100% carbon neutral campus by 2042, as outlined in the CSAP3.0.

We are inspired by many stories of community members working together during these uncertain times. Whether you are looking to share your resources or find support, a list of opportunities to donate or find support can be found here. Donate: Philabundance PHL COVID-19 Fund Restaurant Workers...

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our April 2020 Green Tip about getting outside and spending time in nature!

We are writing to update you on sustainability events that were planned for the Spring 2020 semester. ReThink Your Footprint All of the ReThink Your Footprint events for Spring 2020 have been canceled. 30x30 Challenge We have removed the requirement to attend one on-campus event, since all of our...

Our friends at the Penn Medicine Development and Alumni Relations department hosted a clean up day a few weeks ago! The Green Team set-up waste diversion bins to take advantage of on campus recycling programs and other streams. They also hosted a raffle during lunch to promote BYO culture and reduce...

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our March 2020 Green Tip with waste minimization tips!

Come out to the Penn Research and Lab Safety Supplier Show on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 from 10 AM to 1:30 PM in Smilow Commons, Smilow Center For Translational Research (3600 Civic Center Blvd.). The show is hosted by Penn Purchasing Services and Penn Environmental Health & Radiation Safety and will...

Penn’s Perry World House has been awarded a prestigious LEED Silver for New Construction designation from the U.S. Green Building Council. Completed in 2016, Perry World House’s mission is to bring the academic knowledge of the University of Pennsylvania to bear on some of the world’s most pressing...

Amy Gutmann, president; Wendell Pritchett, provost; and Craig Carnaroli, executive vice president: We write to update the University community on Penn’s wide-ranging efforts to respond to climate change. While our recently released Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 describes the full scope...

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our February 2020 Green Tip with sustainability tips for Valentine's Day!

Over the Summer of 2019, the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, the Penn Program on Regulation, and the Faculty Senate at the University of Pennsylvania hosted a virtual ideation session to generate new policy-relevant and solution-oriented...

Thank you to all who participated in Space Heater Amnesty Day on January 15, 2020. The Penn Sustainability Office was able to decommission and recycle 31 space heaters from staff and faculty across campus through eForce Recycling. Staff who traded in their space heaters were offered an energy...

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our January 2020 Green Tip, about our Penn Green Fund, open to students, faculty, and staff!

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our December 2019 Green Tip. In preparation for the holidays, this month's green tip is all about sustainable gift-giving and gatherings!

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our December 2019 Green Tip. In preparation for the holidays, this month's green tip is all about sustainable gift-giving and gatherings!

Click on the photo below to open and download a PDF of our November 2019 Green Tip. In preparation for Thanksgiving, this month's green tip is all about food!