Plans & Progress
The 2030 UVA Sustainability Plan, with ten bold goals and accompanying strategic actions, including to be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel-free by 2050 guides the University’s comprehensive approach to sustainability.
Achieving our sustainability goals calls for collaboration across the University. Our approach is to ENGAGE our community in building sustainability awareness and equity, STEWARD resources on Grounds and beyond, and DISCOVER solutions to global challenges through research, curriculum and Grounds-engaged learning.
These sustainability goals align with UVA’s 2030 Great and Good Strategic Plan and build upon the success of the Board of Visitors’ 2011 and 2013 sustainability resolutions, the first UVA Sustainability Plan (2016-2020), and the work of thousands of engaged individuals over many years.
This work is not possible without the dedication and passion of our students, staff, faculty, administration, and alumni. UVA is working hard on these goals and we hope that you will join us!
Click on the 2023-2024 UVA Sustainability Annual Report below and visit the Take Action page to get involved.
Click each topic below to learn about the progress we’re making toward our 2030 goals.
- Climate Action & Energy
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Our goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel-free by 2050.
As of 2023, UVA has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 45% from 2010 levels. We have achieved this through a range of strategies, such as:
• Existing Buildings: Building Efficiency Program, including Sustainable Labs and Sustainable Clinics
• New Buildings: UVA Green Building Standards, including energy targets and fossil fuel-free requirements and in many cases exceed LEED standards
• District Energy Upgrades: Fuel switching in the Main Heat Plant, as well as chilled water, hot water and steam optimization
• Renewable Energy: 32 megawatts of off-site utility-scale solar and rooftop solar Check out our renewable energy production in real time at our Renewable Energy Tracker.
• Fleet: Electric vehicles and charging infrastructureTo date, we have achieved 85 LEED certifications, including the College of Wise, representing over 5 million square feet of LEED certified space.
UVA’s Building Efficiency Program has upgraded 75 buildings over the past nine years and these buildings have avoided energy costs of $14 million over the past three years.
Overall, the University has reduced its energy consumption while also expanding our square footage to better serve our growing student population and research needs. As of fall 2024, we are completing a process to establish a climate action plan to accelerate our move toward being carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel-free by 2050, as well as supporting a community-wide resiliency planning process through Resilient Together.
>> For more details, visit our CLIMATE ACTION and ENERGY pages.
- Materials & Waste
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Our goal is to reduce waste by 70% from a 2010 baseline levels by 2030.
Reducing the waste we generate and reducing waste-to-landfill across over 15 million square feet of facilities is not an easy task. UVA tackles this through a rigorous and multi-faceted approach that focuses on reuse, recycling, and composting, procuring more sustainable products and eliminating many single-use plastics.
As of 2023, UVA has reduced total waste generated by 36.8% compared to a 2010 baseline. We also have diverted (through reusing, recycling, composting) 38.6% of total waste. Landfilled waste increased by 10.8% compared to 2010 totals. UVA is in the process of strengthening sustainable procurement guidelines and expanding waste infrastructure to minimize waste and increase diversion rates.
>> For more details, visit our MATERIALS & WASTE page.
- Nitrogen
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Our goal is to reduce reactive nitrogen losses to the environment by 30% below 2010 levels by 2030.
In 2013, UVA became the first university in the U.S. to set an official nitrogen reduction goal, and the first university in the world to release an action plan to reduce nitrogen.
Why? Reactive nitrogen contributes to algae blooms, ozone depletion, forest dieback, and respiratory illness. It is a common byproduct of three necessary processes: combustion from energy production, food production and wastewater treatment.
UVA has achieved a 34% reduction in reactive nitrogen losses to the environment as of 2022 compared to 2010, which exceeds the 2030 goal. Reductions are due to efforts to reduce energy use and procure more sustainable energy sources, as well as a move towards plant-based offerings in dining halls. UVA’s nitrogen footprint has continued to decrease despite growth in the student population and associated food purchasing. Food-related nitrogen data is intensive to collect and calculate, so the data typically lags by one calendar year.
>> For more details, visit our NITROGEN page.
- Food
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Our goal is to increase sustainable food purchases to 30% of the annual total by 2030.
In 2023, 37% of the University’s food and beverage spend at UVA Dine and the University Medical Center combined was sustainable, per the Association
for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS criteria.
Darden dining services are not represented in the CY2023 percentages.>> For more details, visit our FOOD page.
- Water
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Through a variety of means that encompass both the built and natural environment, UVA is reducing water use and improving water quality. The Facilities Management team initiates projects to reclaim water from various processes, including the University’s numerous heating/cooling chiller plants, as well as to preserve water usage in landscaping applications.
Compared to 2010, UVA has reduced total potable water usage by 24.8%. In 2023, UVA consumed 432.03 million gallons of potable water, compared to 574.17 million gallons in 2010.
Stormwater management is another critical part of our environmental stewardship of our University. The Clean Water Working Group focuses on improving stormwater management and the sustainable use of water on Grounds.
>> For more details, visit our WATER page.
- Accountability
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Our goal is to advance sustainability leadership and impact by incorporating environmental, economic, and equity considerations into decision-making, building accountability for sustainability goal achievement at every level of the university.
UVA schools and units, with guidance from the Committee on Sustainability and support from the Office for Sustainability, are developing their own plans in alignment with the 2030 Sustainability Plan.
In 2023 the Biomedical Engineering, School of Architecture created their sustainability plans, and the UVA Health Sustainability Committee created recommendations for governance and strategic initiatives to help meet the 2030 sustainability goals.
>> For more information on these efforts, visit our PROGRAMS & SERVICES page.
- Equity & Community
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Our goal is to partner with our community to accelerate collaborative initiatives to advance sustainable, equitable, and healthy places for all.
To address the global climate challenge, collaboration with stakeholders from all sectors from the local to international level is crucial. Equally important is advancing environmental and climate justice.
UVA Sustainability works with a range of partners to achieve these goals, including other higher education institutions. Collaborative partners include UVA’s Environmental Institute, the Equity Center, the Institute for Engagement and Negotiation, the International Institute for Sustainable Labs, the Ivy Plus Sustainability Collaborative, the Virginia Association for Sustainability in Higher Education, the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network, the ACC Sports Sustainability Team, and others. Additionally, the UVA Office for Sustainability is a partner in Climate Action Together and Resilient Together with the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
>> For more information on these efforts, visit our ABOUT and TAKE ACTION pages.
- Curriculum
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Our goal is to enhance sustainability focused teaching, curricular development, and experiential learning.
We believe sustainability intersects with every major at UVA and therefore every undergraduate student at UVA should be able to relate their field of study to sustainability.
The percentage of sustainability-focused or sustainability-inclusive courses at the University increased from 6.7% in 2021 to 9.6% in 2024. Currently, 82 of UVA’s 187 academic departments (43%) include sustainability course offerings.
>> For more information on these efforts, visit our CURRICULUM page.
- Research
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Our goal is to promote sustainability research and UVA’s reputation as a locus of sustainability.
In labs and classrooms across Grounds, UVA researchers are making remarkable advances in our understanding of energy systems, climate change and impacts on the human population and the environment, and designing innovative, scalable solutions.
One of Office of the Vice President for Research, one of the five chosen priority areas for Grand Challenges Research Investments is Environmental Resilience and Sustainability.
UVA’s Environmental Institute awarded $3 million to Climate Collaboratives, interdisciplinary research teams working on solutions for specific climate-related challenges. The Climate Restoration Initiative (CRI), formed in 2020, focuses on carbon dioxide removal to make Virginia’s economy carbon neutral and received $1.55 million in 2022 to expand its work. The Decarbonization Corps, launched in summer 2023, funded four projects on low-carbon cement, healthcare system decarbonization, forests and carbon accounting, and seagrass ecosystem carbon valuation.
>> For more information on these efforts, visit our RESEARCH page.
- Grounds-engaged Learning
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Our goal is to foster collaborations that enable mutually beneficial Grounds-engaged research and learning.
Connecting academics and operations is a unique strength of higher education to lead and innovate sustainability solutions. At UVA, faculty, students and staff partner on a range of experiential projects in several courses to connect global ideas to local implementation, strengthening both curricula and the stewardship of Grounds.
The Decarbonization Academy continued in its third summer in 2024. The academy pairs students who want paid, hands-on learning experiences with faculty and staff to design a range of projects geared specifically toward helping the University achieve its goals of being carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel-free by 2050.
The Morven Sustainability Lab (MSL) is developing a new strategic plan, led by faculty director Beth Meyer, involving extensive community engagement through listening circles and site visits. The plan includes input from UVA and community sustainability leaders, descendants of the UVA and Morven enslaved community, and the Monacan Nation leadership, focusing on climate adaptation, food sovereignty, and regenerative land management. This year’s research and coursework at MSL included creating a GIS database, analyzing Morven’s nitrogen footprint, and various seminars and practicums. The Morven Kitchen Garden also hosted weekly volunteer days and special student events.
The Office for Sustainability collaborated with the year-long Engineering Foundations class to address ongoing sustainability challenges on Grounds. More than 60 students produced innovative solutions to improve watering efficiency in the student garden, reduce contamination in outdoor recycling bins, and incentivize students to choose sustainable transportation options.
>> For more information on these efforts, visit our Grounds Engaged Learning page.