UVA discussed its 2011 Sustainability Assessment on Wednesday at a lunchtime panel in honor of Campus Sustainability Day.
As an update of the 2006 project, the new report details the success of the previous program and gives plans for future sustainability projects at UVA.
"Five years ago, it was good to have a program and say ‘We have a program. We’re happy about that.’ I think going forward we say ‘we have a program, and it’s performing this well and we can measure it,’” UVA Sustainability Planner Andrew Greene told NBC29.
According to the report, the University has met 84 percent of its sustainability goals since 2006. In 2007, the Board of Visitors required that all new buildings achieve LEED certification and two sustainability positions were added in 2008. Overall, the University cut its energy costs by over $2 million.
Looking forward, the University hopes to focus on education as well as cutting waste and pollution. A newly added Sustainability minor and carpool incentives are the first steps to getting more students and employees involved in the effort.
UVA hopes to cut its carbon footprint by 25 percent in 2025 and will use a points-based system to gauge progress.
Click here to read the 2011 UVA Sustainability Assessment.