The American College of Greece (ACG) proudly announces its recognition as a top performer for its sustainability best practices in the 2023 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). This marks the eighth consecutive year of this esteemed recognition for ACG.
The Sustainable Campus Index highlights innovative and impactful initiatives from colleges and universities that submitted a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report in the prior calendar year. ACG’s performance in this year’s SCI is based on the STARS report submitted in 2023 by the Office of Sustainability/Public Affairs, wherein the College secured the prestigious STARS Gold Rating for the second year in a row.
“All of us at AASHE extend our warmest congratulations to The American College of Greece for their achievement,” lauded Meghan Fay Zahniser, AASHE’s Executive Director. “By fostering sustainable practices and initiatives, you set an inspiring example for your peers and future generations. Your efforts are a testament to the positive impact that institutions can make when they prioritize sustainability and take meaningful action. Keep up the outstanding work in creating a brighter, more sustainable future for all!”
“As ACG community, we deeply care about our planet and prioritize sustainability to protect our people, partners, and the environment. Therefore, we are excited and we find great inspiration in being acknowledged once again as top achievers in the AASHE Sustainable Campus Index,” stated Rania Assariotaki, ACG Director, Office of Sustainability/Public Affairs.
This year, ACG attained top performer status in the following categories: Grounds, Purchasing, Curriculum, Campus Engagement, Energy, Waste and Wellbeing & Work, being one of the only two institutions outside the US, Canada, and Australia to be included. Not only that, but ACG attained overall top performer status in the Master’s institution’s new category for a second time, being the only one in Europe. But most importantly, ACG was recognized as a top international performer with top score performance.
ACG is home to a beautiful, welcoming, nature-rich 64-acre main campus in Athens, Greece. ACG specializes in sustainable land management and landscaping to protect campus biodiversity. Our revised purchasing policy reflects a clear commitment to choosing environmentally friendly and socially responsible products and services, supporting providers that also manifest a hands-on commitment to sustainability. This goes hand in hand with the close collaboration with the on-campus catering providers, who have always supported our sustainability efforts.
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 & Administration. All reports are publicly accessible on the STARS website. For more information, visit 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. We work with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges. For more information, visit www.aashe.org. Follow AASHE on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.