| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.91 |
| Liaison | Julie Hopper |
| Submission Date | Dec. 20, 2023 |
University of Southern California
PA-2: Sustainability Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 4.00 |
Julie
Hopper Data Analyst Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in curriculum and/or research?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to academics and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Research and Education Goals published in the Sustainability 2028 Plan
Website Link: https://sustainability.usc.edu/2028-framework/goals/
Research Goals:
USC research is tackling critical sustainability problems by addressing challenges facing natural resources, urban health, infrastructure, mobility, communications, behavior, and equity. In doing so, we strive to address the following goals:
Goal 1. USC will substantially increase its interdisciplinary research and research training for sustainability and climate change solutions, empowered by world-class scholars in a wide array of disciplines. USC is uniquely qualified to promote this research and implementation necessary to address sustainability challenges due to its location at the heart of a rapidly evolving urban landscape that is impacted by climate change and is experiencing wildfires, air pollution, heat waves, coastal erosion, threats to the marine ecosystems, and drought.
Goal 2. USC will substantially increase its public outreach, communication, and engagement regarding sustainability and climate change solutions. This will build on USC’s strong ties to stakeholders in city and state government, business and industry, non-governmental organizations and to surrounding communities in developing scalable models of equity-based solutions.
Goal 3. USC research will have significant real-world impacts and address societal needs though solutions that are replicable and scalable.
Education Goals
Goal 1: Increase core undergraduate sustainability courses by 10 per year through 2028, plus develop new interdisciplinary certificates, minors and majors.
Goal 2: Increase faculty capacity to teach sustainability courses—both didactic and experiential—through a focused faculty hiring approach that increases the number of faculty with expertise in sustainability.
Goal 3: Elevate sustainability-focused research and experiential learning through (a) implementation of a plan and pilot program for experiential course development and (b) new sustainability research partnerships between students and faculty.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address student, employee, or community engagement for sustainability?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to engagement and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Engagement Goals are published in the Sustainability 2028 Plan
Website Link: https://sustainability.usc.edu/2028-framework/goals/
Goal 1. Achieve STARS Gold by 2025 and STARS Platinum by 2028 by engaging all departments, schools, and students on their role in advancing sustainability at USC, and empowering them to take actions that support Assignment: Earth.
Goal 2. Achieve a university culture of sustainability by 2028, defined as 80% of students, faculty, and staff demonstrating an understanding of sustainability and perceiving USC as having a culture that cultivates sustainability.
Goal 3. Achieve university-wide practice of sustainability behaviors by 2028, defined as an average of 80% of students, faculty, and staff self-reporting engagement in various behaviors “usually” or “always.”
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address sustainability in operations?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to operations and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Operations Goals are published in the Sustainability 2028 Plan
Website Link: https://sustainability.usc.edu/2028-framework/goals/
Goal 1. Mend Our Climate
1.a. USC will achieve climate neutrality for annual scopes 1 & 2 emissions for fiscal year 2025 and beyond while seeking to minimize the use of carbon offsets.
1.b. USC will achieve climate neutrality for annual scope 3 emissions (air travel, commuting, waste, T&D losses) for fiscal year 2035 and beyond (achieving a 50% reduction by 2028, using 2014 as the baseline).
1.c. USC will complete an assessment of purchasing-related scope 3 emissions by fiscal year 2024 and set a related reduction goal by the end of fiscal year 2025.
1.d. USC will complete an assessment of scope 3 embodied carbon in all new major construction and renovation projects beginning construction documents in or after fiscal year 2023 and will pursue design and construction strategies for reducing that embodied carbon. For projects beginning construction documents in or after fiscal year 2025, the projects will offset any remaining embodied carbon.
1.e. USC will complete an experiential learning project to model the embodied carbon of the existing physical campuses by fiscal year 2024 and create a goal by fiscal year 2026 around removing historical embodied emissions.
1.f. USC will complete an experiential learning project to model USC’s historical scope 1 and 2 emissions by fiscal year 2024 and create a goal by fiscal year 2026 around removing historical operating emissions.
Goal 2. Build a Circular Economy
2.a. Achieve Zero Waste (90% diversion rate) by fiscal year 2028.
2.b. Achieve 30% aversion (reduction in total municipal solid waste generated, using a fiscal year 2022 baseline) by fiscal year 2028.
2.c. Convert at least two additional material streams annually to more-circular or closed loop systems.
Goal 3. Align with New Water Realities
3.a. USC will achieve a 20% potable water use reduction per square foot of total campus building space by FY 2028 (FY 2014 baseline).
Goal 4. Develop Healthy Ecosystems
4.a. USC will develop and begin implementing a long-term plan for grounds and landscaping and strategic planting standards by fiscal year 2024.
4.b. USC will update its Design Guidelines to incorporate health and wellness strategies into facilities designs by fiscal year 2023.
Goal 5. Strengthen Transparency and Accountability
5.a. USC will establish a publicly accessible online dashboard to track sustainability resource metrics by fiscal year 2023.
5.b. USC will publish annual reports on operational sustainability goals progress within six months of the close of each fiscal year.
5.c. USC will incorporate sustainability criteria into operations performance reviews by fiscal year 2024.
Does the institution have a published plan or plans that include measurable sustainability objectives that address diversity, equity, and inclusion; sustainable investment/finance; or wellbeing?:
A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives related to administration and the plan(s) in which they are published:
DEI Goals are published in the Sustainability 2028 Plan
Website Link: https://sustainability.usc.edu/2028-framework/goals/
Center stakeholder engagement in the design, implementation, and evaluation of USC sustainability initiatives as drivers of (or levers for) the equitable environmental stewardship needed for a vision of our collective future and the common good. The centering of stakeholder engagement will be measured by examining the impact of who participates, our partnerships, and our projects, on USC and the community, from 2021-2028.
Goal 1. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni from consistently marginalized groups will report higher sense of belonging and being valued as members of the university community, measured by annual (or periodic) surveys.
Goal 2. Community partners from consistently marginalized groups will be more included and valued in joint programming, planning, and decision-making processes at USC, as measured by annual (or periodic) surveys.
Goal 3. By June 2023, develop a comprehensive catalog of the sustainability research and programs at USC that work with local communities disproportionately impacted by environmental disruptions and risk exposures, measured by document review and other measures. Updates to the catalog will be done using these and other metrics.
Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
The institution’s highest guiding document (upload):
Website URL where the institution’s highest guiding document is publicly available:
Which of the following best describes the inclusion of sustainability in the highest guiding document?:
The institution's sustainability plan (upload):
Website URL where the institution's sustainability plan is publicly available:
Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body?:
The formal statement in support of sustainability:
On January 27th, 2010, the University of Southern California Campus Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees approved six resolutions to further strengthen the University’s commitment to sustainability. The resolutions, as follows, address issues of environmental degradation, energy conservation, water conservation, waste reduction, and building construction.
CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY RESOLUTIONS
1) Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the University of Southern California take reasonable measures to minimize the impact of its operations on the environment
2) Be it further resolved, that the university will maintain an active energy conservation program and that it will, where economically feasible, maximize the purchase of electric energy from renewable resources
3) Be it further resolved, that the university maintain an aggressive water conservation program; that it uses, to the extent possible, drought tolerant landscaping; that it aggressively explores options for the use of reclaimed water for landscaping and other non-potable uses
4) Be it further resolved, that the university maintain an aggressive program to reduce and or recycle the maximum amount of overall waste generated by its operations
5) Be it further resolved, that the university maintain active incentive programs to encourage faculty, staff, students, and visitors to use transportation modes other than the single passenger automobile; and
6) Be it further resolved, that the university design and construct all new buildings to meet or exceed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards
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In 2022, USC launched “Assignment: Earth” , a university-wide sustainability framework for creating a healthy, just and thriving campus and world. https://sustainability.usc.edu/2028-framework/
The institution’s definition of sustainability:
The below definition is what USC’s uses in our ‘Student Sustainability Training’ (accessible in Trojan Learn via Shibboleth Sign-in). The training acknowledges that there are many definitions of sustainability, and that the definition below is just one.
“Sustainability is a broad concept that relies on systems thinking to better understand the complexity of the world around us. It considers not just how people, nature, technology and economies act but how they interact and impact each other. Through this lens, sustainability encompasses human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods and a better world for today and the future.”
Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| The Earth Charter | No |
| The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) | No |
| ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter | No |
| Pan-Canadian Protocol for Sustainability | No |
| SDG Accord | No |
| Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment | No |
| The Talloires Declaration (TD) | No |
| UN Global Compact | No |
| Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
In March 2021, USC Athletics signed on to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Sports for Climate Action initiative. The program commits the global sports community to combat climate change through commitments and partnerships according to verified standards, including measuring, reducing, and reporting greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the world's countries endorse the goal of the UNFCCC to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations "at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system." Specifically, five principles guide the effort:
- Undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility;
- Reduce overall climate impact;
- Educate for climate action;
- Promote sustainable and responsible consumption;
- Advocate for climate action through communication.
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USC has cemented its dedication to combatting the effects of climate change by announcing its sustainability framework in 2022 for creating a healthy, just and thriving campus and world, the Assignment: Earth.
More information: https://sustainability.usc.edu/assignment-earth/
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability planning efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data up to date as of 10/27/23
Data up to date as of 10/27/23
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.