The higher scores come as no surprise to the staff, faculty and students who have been involved in spearheading the UH Green Initiative over the last year. Since the last report card was released, the campus has made progress in several key areas.

Sustainability Policy - The Sustainability Task Force drafted a campus sustainability policy in Spring 2009 that states the university�s position on sustainability.

Carbon Footprint � A course in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences calculated the university�s carbon footprint in Fall 2008 and reported that the largest contributor is commuting to campus. The Sustainability Task Force is outlining goals and timeframes for reducing the university�s carbon footprint.

Green Commuting � The campus hosted a Green Commuting Fair in partnership with METRO to promote student discounted fares and other commuting solutions like car sharing and van pools. Due to the success of the Green Commuting Fair, METRO has agreed to partner with the university and host a fair each semester to encourage the use of mass transit.

Campus Engagement � Recognizing that the best way to reverse climate change is to educate individuals to reduce, reuse and recycle; UH has made sustainability more visible to its community by adding 300 outdoor recycling bins. Additionally, the school participation in RecycleMania put campus sustainability front and center in students� minds with weekly events over the course of the 10 week competition. Other activities that highlighted UH Green Initiatives on campus included the Campus Green Day in October 2008 and the Earth Day Carnival in April 2009.

Education � UH produced a Living Green at the University of Houston guide which was made available on recycled paper and in electronic form via the GreenUH website. This guide was provided to all new students and newly hired faculty and staff. More recently, Green UH and the Biology and Biochemistry Department have formed a partnership that will engage students in the academic program to provide seedlings for the Cougar Community Garden. Produce will be grown from seed to plant in the campus greenhouse and then transplanted to the Cougar Community Garden. Another exciting academic development with Green UH will occur in Spring 2010, when Task Force Chair Emily Messa, will co-teach a class with two university professors � Dr. Barry Lefer and Dr. Peter Bishop. This course will be centered on creating a culture of sustainability for the university. The hope is that this course will evolve into a green literacy program for all students.

Emily Messa, Assistant Vice President of University Services, says, �I want to thank and congratulate the University of Houston community for their work on sustainability at the university. Together, in one year�s time, we accomplished so much. This wasn�t the work of an individual or department but the work of the entire campus. The conversation on sustainability at UH is just the beginning. There is more work to do, and together we will work to make a difference.�

The Report Card, evaluating approximately 300 colleges and universities with the largest endowments, indicates that despite the budgetary challenges schools are facing, as well as increased energy cost, campuses across the board became greener this past year. The University of Houston is no exception. UH has discovered that effort from students, faculty and staff to be more resourceful and less wasteful is the basis of sustainability.

To view the 2010 Sustainability Report Card for UH and other schools visit, www.greenreportcard.org.