Report Highlights Green Strategies on Campus

11/25/2025

As climate change takes hold and the urgency for more effective sustainability efforts in institutional and commercial facilities grows, many facilities managers are looking for best practices, support and guidance to help improve and expand their facilities sustainability efforts. Now managers have a new resource to consider. 

The 2025 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) recently released by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), highlights colleges and universities that are leading the way. 

The report spotlights top-performing institutions as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), and features stories of leadership from campuses around the world. Among the categories are buildings and grounds, energy and climate, and procurement and waste. 

The 2025 SCI offers facilities managers a message for multiple audiences: 

• Sustainability staff and administrators. Benchmark an institution against peers, discover areas for growth, and draw inspiration from top performers.  
• Prospective students. Identify colleges and universities that prioritize sustainability in academics and operations, helping you find a campus that aligns with your values. 
• Higher education alumni. Learn how an institution is advancing sustainability, and find opportunities to advocate for further action. 
• The public. See how higher education institutions are driving positive change both on campus and in surrounding communities. 

STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. It caters to a range of institutions, from community colleges to research universities, supporting advanced sustainability goals and initial steps toward sustainability. 

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?