ATLANTA -- The National Wildlife Federation released its Campus Environment 2008 Report Card showing Georgia’s schools among the top institutions in the country for their conservation and sustainability work. The report card is the first comprehensive analysis of sustainability on U.S. campuses in seven years, and compares findings with the previous study conducted in 2001. The study reviews programs at 1,068 colleges and universities from around the country, including 38 schools from the state of Georgia.

Of those 38 schools, 12 schools were recognized for their exemplary leadership in various areas of campus sustainability. Georgia Institute of Technology and Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) stood out as having the highest levels of sustainability activities in the state, satisfying nine and seven of the survey areas respectively. Both schools were recognized for their future plans to expand their transportation and green landscaping programs. Georgia Institute of Technology was specifically recognized for its exemplary work in environmental or sustainable goal setting, environmental or sustainable personnel, and interdisciplinary degrees. It has already begun developing plans to expand its efficiency, conservation and renewable energy programs.

Southern Polytechnic also has energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy programs that have proven to be quite successful with more than 80% of the campus’ energy coming from off-campus renewable sources. SPSU was also cited in the study for its recycling, solid waste, and materials program, which currently recycles more than 80% of the municipal waste on campus and continues to grow.

Overall the most common criteria achieved by universities in Georgia that participated in the survey is the offering of interdisciplinary study programs. Nationally, Georgia ranked 10th for having campuses with exemplary conservation and sustainability programs and commitments to do more. Georgia has for a long time been very conscious of its universities and their potential for positive impacts in its environment. This report card shows us that the universities are now taking the appropriate steps to reach that potential.

Nationwide, more than 240 individual schools are recognized and named in the report for having exemplary levels of sustainability activities, as determined by survey responses. The 2008 Report Card, based on a survey conducted in partnership with Princeton Survey Research Associates International, garnered responses from 27 percent of U.S. colleges and universities, making this survey (sent to presidents, administrators, and facilities managers) the nation’s largest study to date created to gauge trends and new developments in campus sustainability. It was also the first study of its kind when originally conducted in 2001.

Trends revealed in the study include:

The most prevalent environmental initiative is water conservation, versus recycling in 2001;

Conserving energy is 2008’s most popular performance goal, versus the 2001 goal of upping environmental performance in new buildings;

The biggest green opportunity colleges are missing is adequate education about sustainability for their students;

Funding is the biggest obstacle to expanding environmental and sustainability programming, versus the “other priorities” cited in 2001.

The full Campus Report Card, including a list of schools participating in the survey and a list of schools with exemplary programs can be found at www.campusecology.org.

Since it was launched in 1989, the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program has worked with the college campus community (students, faculty, administrators and staff) to promote sustainability and ecological stewardship on campuses and beyond. Visit www.campusecology.org for more information.