Georgetown University Ranked No. 1 for Green Schools in the U.S.

By Rachel Leber

WASHINGTON — SaveOnEnergy.com, an online energy consulting firm in Plano, Texas, published its 2017 Green Report on Feb. 8 with Georgetown University in Washington D.C., ranked No. 1 for sustainability. The report listed 25 universities and colleges in the U.S. that actively prioritize sustainability and reduction in carbon footprint through on-campus initiatives and community partnerships, according to a statement.

The pool of universities in the report were selected from the 2017 U.S. News and World Report Top 100 Universities list, and then scored based on several of SaveOnEnergy’s own sustainability-related factors, including transportation options, access to parks and sources of energy. While many universities in the U.S. employ sustainability programs, the universities that made it onto the list received high scores in all areas of assessment.

Georgetown University employs many eco-friendly initiatives that earned it first place in the SaveOnEnergy report. Most recently, the university installed four solar-powered outdoor chargers throughout the campus in 2016 to give students a way to charge their laptop, phone or tablet with renewable energy. The university already reached their goal “to reduce 50 percent of GHG emissions by 2020” in 2014, by purchasing renewable energy certificates, according to a statement. Georgetown also committed in 2009 to all new construction and major renovations on campus to be designed to meet USGBC’s LEED standards at the Silver level or higher.

Georgetown joined with 25 members of the Global University Leadership Forum (GULF) at the 2010 World Economic Forum, to sign the Sustainable Campus Charter, a partnership between GULF and the International Campus Sustainability Network. In signing this charter, the university pledged their commitment to supporting sustainable development practices. The university also has a campus-wide composting program, which is used by many students.

While Georgetown is currently heading SaveOnEnergy’s Top 25 list for being sustainability, American University in Washington D.C. is listed in second place, and George Washington University in Washington D.C. is not far behind in third place. Below is a list of the top 10 Universities on SaveOnEnergy’ green report:

SaveOnEnergy 2017 Green Report: Top 10 Universities in the U.S.

  1. Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
    Score: 82.2308
  1. American University, Washington, D.C.
    Score: 81.4308
  1. George Washington University, Washington D.C.
    Score: 80.6308
  1. Brown University, Providence, R.I.
    Score: 77.5017
  1. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minn.
    Score: 74.8321
  1. University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
    Score: 74.0164
  1. University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt.
    Score: 72.4420
  1. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
    Score: 68.7
  1. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
  2. Score: 68.0596
  1. Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.
    Score: 68.0012