| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58.21 |
| Liaison | Julie Hopper |
| Submission Date | July 29, 2021 |
University of Southern California
IN-47: Innovation A
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Elias
Platte-Bermeo Sustainability Program Assistant Office of Sustainability |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
USC is the country’s first campus to be certified as a green zone by the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA). A green zone is a defined area of land that is consistently maintained by battery-electric equipment. USC made the switch twelve years ago to eliminate gas-powered leaf blowers and other tools as they were disrupting campus life and negatively impacting the environment. The technology available has drastically improved since the beginning of this endeavor, but the USC Grounds team developed innovative ideas over the years to maintain the quality of grounds work without sacrificing the health of the environment. USC has spent $120,000 to switch to the best rechargeable electric equipment and has worked closely with AGZA in doing so, which led to this recent certification. AGZA estimates that this investment will lead to annual reductions of 89 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and 15 tons of smog-forming exhaust emissions.
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.