Keene State Receives STARS Gold Rating For Its Sustainability Achievements

Keene State College has earned a STARS Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

Keene State’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.

The College has participated in STARS reporting since 2012 and has excelled in the areas of funding research opportunities for faculty and students on sustainability topics and sustainable procurement and purchasing.

The College’s sustainability goals for the campus, include:

• 50 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030; achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
• 100 percent of campus-powered renewables by 2030 
• Qualify as a Zero-Waste campus by 2030.

“This year we are focusing on waste minimization and diversion,” said Katherine Witte, Keene State’s sustainability coordinator. “Our goal is to reduce food waste on campus through education and outreach in partnership with dining {services} and the Hungry Owl food pantry. Our biggest shift in the last three years has been the shift to single-stream recycling, it has improved our rate of recycling on campus and increased the amount of waste we are diverting from the landfill.”

With more than 1,200 participants in 52 countries, the STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.

“The campus sustainability community developed STARS to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Keene State has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a Gold Rating and is to be congratulated for its efforts.”

The program is open to all higher education institutions, and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is based on credits earned, it allows for internal comparisons and comparisons with similar institutions.

“We are very proud to have achieved a STARS Gold rating for our sustainability accomplishments. We look forward to watching our sustainability efforts grow and improve through the program,” Nathalie Houder, Keene State’s vice president for finance and administration, said.