UC Office of the President
Sierra magazine named UC Davis America's Coolest School, and five other UC campuses made the publication's annual rankings of the nation's greenest colleges.
UC Irvine was ninth, UC San Diego 17th, UC Berkeley 20th, UC Merced 25th and UC Riverside 58th on Sierra's list of 96 universities across the country that were ranked for their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and operate in sustainably.
"At UC Davis, sustainability is one of our core values," said UC Davis chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. "I am very proud of the students, faculty and staff who have worked so hard to make this achievement possible and to invest in a more sustainable future for our campus."
The magazine highlighted UC Davis's West Village, the country's largest planned zero-net energy community, its effort to purchase sustainable products, its diversion of 70 percent waste away from landfills and an eco-friendly transportation system that includes up to 20,000 bikes on campus.
UC Irvine was lauded for strong student participation in sustainability activities, its 70 percent waste diversion rate and hydration stations around campus that reduce bottled water use.
"We are extremely pleased to once again be among the top 10 ‘Coolest Schools' in the nation," UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake said. "I am especially proud of our consistency, being one of only three U.S. campuses to be included on the list for three consecutive years."
This is the sixth year that the Sierra Club's official magazine has ranked green universities and UC campuses have placed high each year. The magazine compiles its rankings through a survey of four-year colleges and universities, which had to provide quantifiable information about their sustainability initiatives.
"The University of California system is honored to see that five of the six UC campuses that Sierra magazine surveyed were ranked in the top 25," said Matt St.Clair, sustainability manager at the UC Office of the President. "It is encouraging to see this continued recognition of UC's national leadership in modeling sustainable practices and saving money through resource conservation."
