Policy

The University of Oregon’s Comprehensive Environmental Policy, developed in 1997, identifies key areas of environmental stewardship. The policy reflects UO’s commitment to responsible purchasing, efficient resource usage, minimizing solid and hazardous waste production, and sustainable campus planning and design. The updated 2014 Comprehensive Environmental Policy establishes directives in the following categories: Planning and Design, Operations and Maintenance, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Transportation, Purchasing, and Materials Management.

 The cards under the “Progress” tab include these directives, explain UO environmental stewardship goals, report progress, and illuminate areas for improvement. These data are available to faculty and students for research and teaching purposes. 

The University of Oregon’s Comprehensive Environmental Policy directives are informed by categories specified in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). STARS was developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). 900 American institutions track and benchmark their sustainability progress using this self-reporting framework. UO earned Gold status in recognition of its sustainability curricula, development policies, and data collection and assessment efforts in particular. Only about 10% of participating institutions earn a Gold ranking. Detailed information about UO’s institutional performance can be found here.