Our Commitment

The University of Denver recognizes that one of the great challenges of our time is to make the decisions and investments — of both effort and money — that will simultaneously advance economic vitality, ecological integrity and social justice. Economic vitality, environmental integrity and social justice are deeply connected in both the short- and the long-term. This triple challenge and deep connection are embodied in the concept of sustainability.

Recognizing sustainability as a core University value, we commit to exercising leadership in our community and throughout society by providing the knowledge, research and curriculum to produce informed graduates who are able to create a positive, just and sustainable future.

We will fully embrace sustainability and address climate change in our operations by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our approach to managing the built environment, energy, water, dining, purchasing, policies and transportation operations.

By integrating sustainability into the curriculum, research, co-curricular experience and campus operations, we will better serve our students and meet their social mandate to help create a vital, ethical and prosperous civil society.

We believe that our commitment to sustainability requires us to work with community partners in the public and private sector to ensure a thriving local economy, a sustainable urban environment and an equitable human community.

We reaffirm our commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, as just one part of a holistic approach to becoming a sustainable University.

Sustainability Principles

As a campus, we will adopt ways to adhere to the following principles through policies, commitments, standard practices and everyday actions to realize our vision of incorporating sustainability into our research, teaching, operations and campus life.

25x25 Sustainability Goals