UC Davis A Global Leader on the Environment

Our university continues to garner impressive recognition as a global leader on sustainability.

Most recently, in the annual GreenMetric rankings published by the University of Indonesia, an international survey of over 400 colleges placed UC Davis at number three in the world for its leadership in environmental sustainability through teaching, research, campus lifestyle, and management. The year before we were rated No. 4.

GreenMetrics covers 62 separate categories of environmental sustainability, including campus operations – such as transportation, water and energy use, carbon emission and waste management – as well as the amount of research money, course offerings, scholarly events and student organizations dedicated to the environment and suitability. 

UC Davis West Village is the largest planned zero net energy community in the United States. (photo credit: UC Davis)

This ranking reflects the work our faculty, staff and students have been doing on multiple fronts, from the courses we teach to the research we conduct to our everyday use of natural resources. It is also an indication of the progress UC Davis is making to help meet President Napolitano’s target of carbon neutrality for the entire UC system by 2025.

At the same time, one of our researchers, Dr. Pamela Ronald, a professor of plant pathology and genetics, has been recognized by Grist.org as one of 50 people making significant contributions toward environmental suitability. Grist.org is a popular online non-profit magazine that has been publishing environmental news and commentaries since 1999, with a mission “to inform, entertain, provoke, and encourage its readers to think creatively about environmental problems and solutions.” 

Pamela Ronald – Professor of plant pathology and genetics, UC Davis. (photo credit: Debbie Aldridge)

Pamela is recognized for her work developing a form of rice that can tolerate prolonged floods. More than four million farmers have the rice and Grist.org praised her for the kind of research breakthrough needed to feed a growing global population without expanding our agricultural footprint.

Please join me in congratulating Pamela and all members of our campus community who have put UC Davis at the forefront of global innovation, sustainability research and community engagement. 

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