Golden State Today

The University of California, Davis has been recognized as the "greenest" campus in the United States for the ninth consecutive year by the 2024 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. The rankings, released on December 12, also place UC Davis as the seventh most sustainable university globally. This marks the twelfth consecutive year that UC Davis has been included in the world's top ten for sustainability.

Chancellor Gary S. May expressed pride in this achievement, stating in a video for an awards ceremony in Brazil, "At UC Davis, sustainability is not just a goal. It is a core value woven into everything we do." He emphasized the significance of the Big Shift project, which aims to transition campus heating from natural gas to electricity and decarbonize its utility system. "The Big Shift is making a real impact on our campus and serves as a model for how other universities can address climate change in their operations," May said.

UC Davis operates as a living laboratory where faculty collaborate with students and operational teams to apply theoretical knowledge practically. The annual rankings assess universities based on various categories including setting and infrastructure (15%), energy and climate change (21%), waste (18%), water (10%), transportation (18%), and education and research (18%). This year's evaluation introduced metrics considering social, cultural, and economic aspects of sustainability.

A total of 1,477 universities from 95 countries participated in these rankings. UC Davis values both self-evaluations and third-party assessments while recognizing that ranking methods can vary over time. The university focuses on rankings aligning with its mission of serving public good, inclusiveness, equity, and social mobility.

UC Davis encourages prospective students to consider these rankings alongside other factors when making college decisions and suggests discussions with counselors or admissions advisors as well as visiting the campus if possible.