WKU News

WKU’s sustainability efforts continue to earn international recognition in the University of Indonesia GreenMetric World University Rankings.

In the overall 2023 rankings, WKU was recognized as the 664^th World’s Most Sustainable University out of 1,183 universities from 84 countries. WKU was one of 10 U.S. universities invited to participate.

The UI GreenMetric World University Rankings are based on three pillars — environmental, economic, and social value — incorporating indicators such as setting and infrastructure; energy and climate change; waste; water; transportation; education; and research.

“I believe the most important feature of sustainability at WKU is that we are in a constant state of improvement and growth,” said Dr. Leslie North, Director of Sustainability for WKU. “Too often, sustainability goals are achieved and programs initiated, then an entity’s progress plateaus, or the development and implementation of new sustainability programming ceases. At WKU, our programs are always evolving and adapting; we never stop exploring new partnerships and programs, and we regularly research creative solutions to often complex sustainability challenges. When you couple all of that with the incredible support and commitment of our campus community, you end up with a unique and special place we all call our academic home.”

WKU, which created its Office of Sustainability in 2008, has earned numerous national recognition and certifications, including the International WELL Building Institute for Ogden College Hall, the Green Restaurant Association Certified Dining program, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings, AASHE STARS (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System), Tree Campus USA, U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and more.

In addition to its participation in the UI GreenMetric rankings since 2019, WKU has been profiled in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges for 14 straight years. For more about the WKU Office of Sustainability, visit https://www.wku.edu/sustainability/

Contact: Dr. Leslie North, (270) 745-5982 or leslie.north@wku.edu