| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.65 |
| Liaison | Austin Sutherland |
| Submission Date | Aug. 9, 2021 |
University of Pennsylvania
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
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N/A |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Penn's Power Purchase Agreement
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
In 2012, Penn's President Dr. Amy Gutmann charged the University with drastically reducing University-wide emissions to net-zero. In April of 2020, the University of Pennsylvania demonstrated its leadership and commitment to that charge by announcing the signing of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the creation of two new solar energy facilities with combined capacity of 220 megawatts (MW). This agreement moves the University significantly closer to meeting its commitment to become 100% carbon neutral by 2042, as outlined in the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP 3.0). This PPA is expected to offset approximately 75% of electricity emissions, about 450,000 MWh of electricity annually, both for the University of Pennsylvania main campus and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania by the end of 2023.
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Energy
Optional Fields
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
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A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
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Second Point of Distinction
Climate Week at Penn
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
In September of 2020, Penn held the first inaugural Climate Week in order to raise awareness about the climate emergency. Students, faculty, and staff from across the university were invited to host virtual events aimed at engaging both the Penn community and the region in a broad range of activities through research, education, public engagement, and activism. During the week of September 21-25, 2020; 45 unique events were organize by 28 separate organizations including 7 schools and 31 non-governmental organizations and community institutions. Close to 3,000 individual participants attended the week's events.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Campus Engagement
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
IN-7 and EN-5
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
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Third Point of Distinction
Sustainability Coordinators
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
The Sustainability Coordinators are a collaborative group of campus leaders representing all twelve of Penn's Schools and five Centers that strive to lead significant operational and behavior changes through interdisciplinary partnerships to support the University's Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0. The Sustainability Coordinators work as a bridge to Penn's senior leadership to drive a shift to true sustainability by implementing data-driven best practices and communicating accomplishments within their respective areas of campus.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Coordination & Planning
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
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A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The University of Pennsylvania is a major research institution, with over 3,000 degrees granted annually from twelve professional and academic schools at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate levels. Penn is committed to reducing emissions and energy use, as stated in the 2019 "Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0." This submission documents Penn's efforts during the FY 19/20 year and compares them to the FY09 baseline year which corresponds with the University's "Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0." The submission relies on information related to the main, academic, West Philadelphia campus, but to more fully document efforts across the Penn system, information related to the Morris Arboretum and New Bolton has also been referenced and noted as outside the boundary in descriptions. The information is used to enrich examples of University efforts and is not intended to be the primary justification for credits. The responses for each of the questions and sub-questions are drawn from University materials, both internal and public documents. Each section notes the website where the information can be found.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.