Measurable progress in campus sustainability goals

The University of Pennsylvania has released the Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 4.0 – FY25 Progress Report. The report, the first of five that the University has committed to publishing between FY25 and FY29, shares actions the University took over the last fiscal year to advance goals set out in its Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 4.0 (CSAP 4.0), the University’s roadmap to addressing environmental challenges over the next five years.

For the first time in Penn Sustainability’s reporting history, it gathered and provided detailed accomplishments for both the University’s main campus and other major property holdings, including Penn’s Health System, Morris Arboretum & Gardens, New Bolton Center, and Penn’s owned real estate portfolio. On the main campus, net emissions fell by 4.5% between FY24 and FY25 and have dropped by 49% since FY09.

“Last year, Penn established a five-year roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2042 and foster a strong culture of sustainability,” said Anne Papageorge, senior vice president of Facilities & Real Estate Services. “One year into the plan, we’ve expanded reporting across more University properties, enhancing transparency, strengthening commitment, and increasing impact.”

“Achieving Penn’s sustainability goals requires broad participation and strong leadership through Penn’s Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee,” said Nina Morris, director of Penn Sustainability. “With 65 goals outlined in our five-year Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 4.0, collaboration across departments and offices is essential. This year, more partners than ever contributed to measurable progress toward our long-term vision, including carbon neutrality by 2042.”

Top FY25 achievements across Penn include:

• Emissions reductions across the main campus, New Bolton Center, Morris Arboretum & Gardens, and Penn-owned real estate portfolio. Total year-over-year net emissions reductions across these properties equate to 9,215 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE), or the annual electricity use of more than 1,200 U.S. homes. Net emissions across the main campus fell by 4.5% between FY24 and FY25 and have dropped by 49% since FY09.

• Increased integration of sustainability into academics, with the Environmental Innovations Initiative (EII) partnering with all 12 of Penn’s schools to track sustainability metrics related to course offerings and research funding, and showcasing the University’s more than 330 environment-related courses. The University also hired 19 new faculty with expertise in wind energy, glaciers, climate modeling, and the history of climate change, among other environmental sustainability areas, since the beginning of the last academic year. New research included three projects funded through the Power Purchase Agreement Renewable Energy Research Program.

• A banner year for construction projects guided by CSAP 4.0 goals. Facilities & Real Estate Services teams worked on many major new construction and renovation projects. Sustainability was incorporated into design, construction, and ongoing operations and maintenance planning. Three major projects completed in FY25—the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science & Technology, Amy Gutmann Hall, and the Ott Center for Track & Field—earned platinum, gold, and silver LEED certifications, respectively.

• Significant procurement with regionally based enterprises, helping local businesses benefit from Penn’s work and providing opportunities for the region to support sustainability goals across areas such as food services, construction, and transportation. Penn achieved more than $700 million in regional spending for the fiscal year, with more than $466 million of that being within the Philadelphia city limits.

• Notable increase in Penn’s landfill diversion rate. Efforts such as Penn Dining’s actions to achieve near-zero waste, a greener off-campus Move Out program, and a zero-waste Hey Day initiative resulted in a 33% diversion rate in FY25, up from 29% in FY24 and 24% in FY20. This year, Penn composted 312 tons of waste, compared to 201 tons in the previous fiscal year.

• Inclusion of Penn’s health system in goal-setting and reporting. Penn Medicine developed a Carbon Reduction Strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2042, with a focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, smart electrification, and emerging technologies.