Bucknell repeats STARS gold rating for sustainability

Justin Strawser, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·1 min read

Jul. 18—LEWISBURG — Bucknell University has repeated a STARS Gold rating and received a higher score than its 2019 rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

Bucknell's report is publicly available on the STARS website at reports.aashe.org. The university improved its score this year to 66.75 from 65.59 in 2019.

Since the 2019 rating, Bucknell has leveraged its Bucknell Farm and the creation of the Office of Campus Sustainability to enhance biodiversity and natural habitat, energy efficiency/carbon neutrality and waste minimization objectives found in the university strategic plan. The university has additionally developed a l0-year sustainability plan while simultaneously implementing key activities under the President's Sustainability Council (PSC) Working Groups.

The university continues to deploy sustainable technologies including a biodigester that diverts food waste from the landfill. As reported by Second Nature — an organization committed to accelerating climate action in, and through, higher education — the university has reduced its carbon footprint by nearly 30 percent from its 2008 baseline, according to Bucknell.