Latest News | Sustainable UC Davis

Planning for a fossil-free future

by Katie Hetrick
January 07, 2022

UC Davis seeks to further lead in sustainability and environmental stewardship, by proposing a plan to end fossil fuel use in its operations.

Campus members providing saliva samples at the on-campus Healthy Davis Together COVID-19 testing site

2021 GreenMetric Rankings: UC Davis Maintains Ranking as Most Sustainable University in North America and 5th Most Sustainable University in the World

by Kelli Ann O'Day
December 29, 2021

On December 14, 2021 University of Indonesia's (UI) GreenMetric shared the 2021 World University Rankings, announcing that UC Davis earned #1 in North America (for a sixth year) and #5 in the World (for a second year). In the last 11 years, UC Davis has ranked in the Top 10 World's Most Sustainable Universities.

Climate Raising Challenge: A 21st century “barn raising”

by Carla Fresquez
October 15, 2021

UC Davis undergraduate of graduate students (individually or as a team) are invited to identify a climate-related agricultural issue in the Valley, take a position on that issue, and develop a digital or hand-drawn mural proposal that visually communicates that position to the public.

Cropped image showing California's extreme drought conditions.

California's Drought, What Actions You Can Take

August 09, 2021

Every Aggie has an important role helping UC Davis and their communities save water. We are in a serious drought. According to Drought.gov, 46% of California — including 100% of Yolo County — is under Extreme Drought conditions. Here are some tips to help you conserve water on and off-campus!

Image of students on bikes going around a bike circle.

Share Your Sustainability Achievements

by Scout Mata
August 03, 2021

UC Davis' commitment to and achievement in sustainability relies on the efforts of our community across the university. In order to capture these efforts, UC Davis Sustainability and UC Davis Health Sustainability have set up a form that students, faculty, academics and staff can use to submit sustainability awards, articles and updates any time of year.

Image of Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education art with conference dates October 12-14, 2021.

UC Davis! Registration Free for 2021 Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education

by Savrene Dudwal
July 28, 2021

UC Davis Sustainability is excited to announce their sponsorship of this year's Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education, a virtual conference streaming live October 12-14.

Compost Options Improve with New, Grant-funded Vehicle

by Sienna Mata
July 06, 2021

The arrival of the first compost truck on campus earlier this year signaled the further expansion of compost collection toward the university’s zero waste goals and compliance with state regulations.

Share How Your Work Supports the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals

June 08, 2021

UC Davis is pursuing a Voluntary University Review (VUR) to support our university’s role as a public land-grant institution in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We invite all students, scholars, staff, researchers and faculty to share details about their SDG efforts through this online portal. Share your story by July 2!

Sustainability Summit Highlights Champions and Partnerships

by Brenda Dawson
June 07, 2021

Watch the 2021 Sustainability Champions get their awards and read the event summary for highlights about new campus partnerships and achievements when it comes to sustainability at UC Davis and UC Davis Health.

Graphic that says World Climate Simulation, Your Turn to Negotiate.

2021 World Climate Simulation

May 21, 2021

UC Davis Sustainability and Global Affairs are partnering for the second year in a row for a World Climate Simulation—a role-playing exercise of the UN climate change negotiations.

Collage image of various projects funded by The Green Initiative Fund

APPLY BY APRIL 23: Be a Part of The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) Committee

April 21, 2021

The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) Committee is currently inviting applications from UC Davis students to apply to be part of the 2021-22 TGIF Committee.

Image of a Sustainability Champion award winner at the 2019 Sustainability Summit.

Get Ready for the 2021 Sustainability Summit

April 19, 2021

Get Ready for the 2021 Sustainability Summit Save the date!

This year's Sustainability Summit will be Friday, May 21 from 10-11:30 a.m. with Q & A from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Register now!

Image of student at climate strike on UC Davis campus.

UC Davis’ GreenMetric Ranking: No. 1 in the US, 4 Years in a Row

December 15, 2020

UC Davis is No. 1 in the United States for the fourth year in a row in the University of Indonesia’s GreenMetric World University Ranking.

Aggie Green Pledge tabling outside Memorial Union

Repeat Gold: Campus Meets Challenge of Revised Sustainability Rating System

May 16, 2020

UC Davis has maintained its gold rating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, or STARS. This time around, the campus earned the system’s top rating by measuring up to significantly revised criteria, including additional, challenging performance metrics.

Tips for a Physically Isolated Earth Month

April 28, 2020

Celebrate Earth Month this year from home! Here are some ways you can help out the planet, and your wallet, while staying safe during this global pandemic brought to you by the Office of Sustainability.

Social Distancing and the Environment

With mandatory social distancing orders around the globe, we are seeing how human activities can affect the world around us.

Positive Environmental Effects

There have been some positive effects on the environment observed since social distancing measures have been put in place.