The American College of Greece, in recognition of the sustainability practices implemented during the last two academic years, has been just awarded with the STARS SILVER Rating from the “Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education” (AASHE). STARS is a voluntary, self-reporting framework designed for colleges and universities worldwide, in order for them to measure their sustainability performance, in the areas of Education, Research, Operations, Environment, Planning, Administration, as well as Community Engagement
The first ACG STARS report was submitted in December 2015 and resulted in ACG being awarded a Bronze Rating. Since then, a lot has been accomplished. Just to name a few important developments, ACG:
a) monitored and inventoried Green House Gas emissions for the first time,
b) enhanced the sustainability dimension of Deree courses’ learning outcomes,
c) established the position of Sustainability Manager,
d) revised its purchasing policy to address environmental and social concerns and
e) extended its social impact through a variety of socially responsible initiatives.
The positive result reflects a collective effort and implementation of best practices by all ACG departments. The commitment, engagement and contribution of all key stakeholders -students, faculty, staff, administrators and business partners- has been essential.
Following US best practices and as also reflected in President Horner’s 2025 vision, ACG is gradually developing an ever growing number of sustainability best practices addressing issues from carbon footprint, to energy efficiency and social responsibility, to sustainability focus in academic programs and research, as well as further enhancement of transparency, diversity and accountability.
The Office of Public Affairs, through the Center of Excellence for Sustainability, will continue to coordinate and report sustainability-related initiatives. For more information please visit the newly launched pages on our website.