CU marches toward long-term sustainability goals with shrinking footprint

CU's impact on the state of Colorado and beyond - as an institution of higher education, a research and innovation hub, a healthcare leader, an employer, an economic engine, a workforce developer, a statewide resource and much more - is indisputable and profound. But there's one area in which CU's impact is diminishing. And that's a good thing.

As outlined in the latest systemwide Sustainability Report, which is produced biennially with a focus on the built environment across CU's four campuses, the university continues to make progress toward its long-term goal of carbon neutrality. For decades, sustainability has been central to CU's capital planning, facilities management and operations. Systemwide, CU emphasizes renovation, space optimization and deferred maintenance over new construction, having invested approximately $1 billion over the past decade to improve facility performance and reduce long-term emissions. This work, coupled with the university's alignment with local and state goals, is paying off.

Overall, CU is achieving measurable reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use intensity, with three of the four campuses having already met or exceeded the state's interim GHG reduction benchmarks when emissions are normalized by building area. Energy consumption is lower systemwide thanks to energy performance contracting and efficiency retrofits, and investments in renewable energy initiatives such as solar projects promise additional progress. Gains in other areas such as water consumption, waste diversion and transportation are also highlighted in the report.

"We're doing good work … and yet, we recognize that we can and must do more," President Todd Saliman writes in the report's introduction. "Core to our mission … is our service to the people of our state - and to the state itself. This means doing all we can to grow and strengthen the systems and resources that allow Coloradans to thrive, while working to reduce our impact on the environment and preserve our state's natural treasures."

In 2024, Saliman formed a systemwide working group to determine additional ways to advance sustainability across CU and inform the university's strategic planning.

The report highlights initiatives and efforts on each campus, including:

• CU Boulder's large-scale decarbonization planning, which includes geothermal feasibility studies and district energy plant modernization, as well as its launch of the Buckley Center for Sustainability Education to embed sustainability across the curriculum.
• UCCS' expansion of its largely student-led Office of Sustainability, strengthening programming via the UCCS Farm, Green Action Fund projects and campuswide engagement initiatives that combine education, food security and waste reduction.
• CU Denver's first dedicated sustainability professional, hired in 2024 and focused on campus-specific carbon, energy, water and waste targets, accelerating progress across the Auraria Campus.
• CU Anschutz's expansion of its formal Green Labs and waste diversion programs, which have reduced energy, water and material use in research-intensive facilities.

CU's 2025 Sustainability Report is available online at https://www.cu.edu/doc/2025-cu-system-sustainability-reportpdf.