SALISBURY — Catawba College has been recognized for its sustainability efforts in the 2023 Sustainable Campus Index. A publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Campus Index recognizes top performing sustainable colleges and universities overall and in 17 impact areas, evaluated through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS).

Catawba was highlighted for achieving carbon neutrality seven years ahead of schedule. Earlier this spring, Catawba became the first Southeastern institution and just the 13th in the country to achieve carbon neutrality.

“All of us at AASHE extend our warmest congratulations to Catawba College for their leadership,” applauded AASHE’s Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “By fostering sustainable practices and initiatives, Catawba sets an inspiring example for its peers.”

Catawba’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.

About STARS

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community. The credits included in STARS span the breadth of higher education sustainability and are organized into four categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning and administration. All reports are publicly accessible on the STARS website. For more information, go to stars.aashe.org. 

About AASHE
AASHE empowers higher education administrators, faculty, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. It works with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges. For more information, go to www.aashe.org. Follow AASHE on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.