Sustainability has been part of the University of Colorado Boulder’s identity for decades, from student-led recycling efforts in the 1970s to decades of climate research.
Now, that work is earning the campus international recognition: CU Boulder is the first U.S. institution to be named the “Sustainability Institution of the Year” by the International Green Gown Awards.
Presented by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges, the Green Gown Awards recognize sustainability leadership across higher education worldwide. Since 2014, the awards have honored institutions and projects working to address environmental and social challenges.
Judges recognize CU Boulder in the large organization category for its approach to integrating sustainability into research, education, campus operations, governance and community engagement, as well as its progress in tracking and reporting measurable outcomes.
The judges also point to what they describe as “genuine leadership” in maintaining ambitious sustainability commitments, along with “significant institution-wide sustainability transformation” supported by investment, partnerships and leadership. They highlight the university’s work across research, education, operations, engagement and governance, as well as its tracking of progress through measurable outcomes and reporting.
“This recognition is a reflection of the fact that sustainability at CU Boulder is a team sport,” says Andrew Mayock, vice chancellor of sustainability. “It is the result of a communitywide commitment to making sustainability part of how we teach, how we conduct research, how we operate our campus and how we engage with the world around us.”
CU Boulder’s sustainability efforts include climate science research, sustainability-focused curriculum across colleges and departments and the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education. The university is also home to the nation’s oldest student-driven environmental center and has a 50-year history of student-led recycling efforts.
The university is also working to reduce its environmental impact through initiatives including campuswide elimination of single-use plastics in dining halls, bike-friendly infrastructure and a climate action plan.
More recent efforts include Boulder Climate Ventures and a growing portfolio of sustainability-related research, innovation and spinout companies.
CU Boulder also serves as the global secretariat of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force, which works across 11 countries and 54 states and provinces and covers about one-third of the world’s tropical forests.
The recognition comes during CU Boulder’s 150th anniversary year, a milestone that Chancellor Justin Schwartz says makes the award particularly meaningful.
“Receiving the Green Gown Award during CU Boulder’s 150th anniversary is especially meaningful because it honors our history and defines our future,” Schwartz says. “This recognition reflects the dedication of an entire community, our faculty, staff, students and partners—all who believe higher education must lead on the defining challenges of our time.”
CU Boulder joins past recipients including McGill University and the University of Technology Sydney. This year’s Green Gown Award winners represent institutions and initiatives from 18 countries across six continents.
Also this month, CU Boulder is celebrating a new $10 million gift that is expanding the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience and its work on global sustainability and resilience.
The gift from Alice Mortenson, the Mortenson Family Foundation and Mortenson Construction is establishing two $1.5 million endowed professorships and adding $7 million in flexible resources to the center’s endowment. The funding is supporting work in areas including water security, sanitation, energy and sustainable infrastructure.
The Mortenson Center works with communities around the world on engineering solutions to complex challenges. Since a 2009 gift from Alice and her late husband, Mauritz “Mort” Mortenson Jr., established and named the center, its work has expanded to 30 countries and more than 80 global partners.
The new professorships are helping the center attract and retain faculty focused on global engineering and resilience. Assistant Research Professor Denis Muthike is holding the inaugural Alice Mortenson Endowed Professorship in Global Resilience, while Associate Teaching Professor Carlo Salvinelli is holding the Mort Mortenson Endowed Professorship in Global Engineering.
The remaining $7 million is giving the center additional flexibility to pursue research, respond to emerging needs and expand hands-on learning opportunities for students.
“The Mortenson Center has helped prepare generations of engineers to work on some of the world’s hardest challenges, from clean water and food security to climate resilience and infrastructure,” says Evan Thomas, director of the Mortenson Center. “This gift recognizes the power of engineering education to create practical, lasting impact.”
