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811
USC
Sustainability
Summary
Report
2015-20
A foundation laid and a future envisioned
“Sustainability is at the core
of everything I believe.”
Dear Trojan Community,
It’s my pleasure to share the results of the 2020 Sustainability Plan
for USC. is was phase one of our collective efforts to work toward
a healthier campus and a greener planet.
Our plans were ambitious—as they needed to be—but we
accomplished a great deal by working together. We significantly reduced the university’s
greenhouse gas emissions, and found more sustainable sources for our food and supplies.
We are taking the lead on making USC a model for how institutions can encourage
communities to participate in public transit.
is is just the beginning, and you played an important part in getting us here. Our
students inspired us with their energy, imagination, and vision for change, while our faculty,
staff, and community members brought tremendous passion and dedication to our shared
goals. You’ve changed your personal behaviors—in ways big and small—and together we’ve
reconfigured our large-scale procurement decisions. We’ve worked with purpose and
empathy—both of which will be so critical in bringing about meaningful change.
I am deeply grateful to all the people across our campuses who spent countless hours
and days making it possible to meet our goals. As we move on to our Sustainability Plan
for 2028, we will set our sights even higher. We’ll look for even more creative ways to bring
sustainability to our campus operations, enhance our students’ education and experience,
and expand our research. e challenges are real and immediate, and I’m confident our
collective energy and commitment will exceed them.
Stay healthy and Fight On!
Carol L. Folt
President
Contents
Achievements page 3
Energy Conservation page 4
Water Conservation page 6
Waste Diversion page 8
Procurement page 10
Transportation page 12
Engagement page 14
Student Initiatives page 16
Looking Aheadpage 17
On the cover: USC alumna
Tianna Shaw-Wakeman was
instrumental in kickstarting
native plant test plots
like this one near Birnkrant
Residential College.
“There’s a generation
of students demanding
change, and the university
has to be responsive
to students and the
community.”
- USC President Carol L. Folt
Status
USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 3
2020 Sustainability Goals
Achievements At A Glance
A Foundation
Laid and a Future
Envisioned
Five years ago, the Office of Sustainability
developed the USC Sustainability 2020 Plan
to guide us in implementing more sustainable
practices across the University Park Campus
(UPC) and Health Sciences Campus (HSC).
The plan established goals for achieving
energy conservation and greenhouse gas
mitigation, sustainable transportation, waste
diversion, water conservation, sustainable
procurement and community engagement.
As we close this chapter and change our
focus to the USC 2028 Sustainability Plan,
let’s review our progress.
In the push for a greener USC, change has
been the imperative. How we plan, execute,
energize and engage our many stakeholders
has been critical to our building a solid foundation that will position us for a sustainable
future. Over the last several years, visionary
executive leadership, innovative thinking,
cooperation across USC and grassroots
student support have propelled us forward
and enabled us to make significant accomplishments.
We have shepherded new academic
research initiatives, cultivated strong alliances
with local government and utilities, formed
the Presidential Working Group on
Sustainability and launched communication
programs that have captured our attention and
elevated sustainability to a priority within our
community. We have also built LEED-certified
silver and gold buildings, completed a major
energy retrofit of Galen Center, achieved zero
waste at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,
procured over 40% of food from sustainable
sources and revised the way we commute.
While much has been accomplished,
there is still much ahead to champion. Today,
though, we acknowledge the foundation laid
and envision our greener future.
USC Sustainability 2020 Plan Goals Progress Toward Goals
USC Wrigley Institute researchers are uncovering
ways to mass-produce seaweed as a biofuel.
Energy Conservation
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions per square foot by 20% from 2014 baseline Achieved 35% reduction
Capitalize on energy risks and opportunities Executed renewable energy projects
Water Conservation
Decrease potable water use by 25% from 2014 baseline Achieved 10% decrease
Increase awareness of conservation practices Created multiplatform educational campaigns
Implement audience-appropriate educational campaigns Developed targeted conservation programming
Waste Diversion
Achieve 75% waste diversion rate Achieved 33.7% diversion rate
Expand diversion and recycling programs and increase awareness Deployed diversion bins and educational campaigns
Procurement
Purchase 20% of food from sustainable sources Achieved 41.4% sustainable food purchases
Engage 75% of USC departments in responsible purchasing practices Developed green purchasing educational materials
Transportation
Reduce single-occupancy vehicles traveling to/from USC's campuses Achieved 2.0 average riders per vehicle
Expand participation in alternative transportation programs Incentivized alternative transportation choices
Engagement
Increase awareness of sustainability practices Established regular sustainability programming
Establish USC as a living laboratory for sustainability Connected students with campus data and experts
Engage the broader community in sustainability Fostered partnerships with local government
“Sustainability
has become a
significant catalyst
for organizational
and cultural
change at USC.”
- Daniel A. Mazmanian,
Chair, Presidential Working
Group on Sustainability and
Professor of Public Policy
4 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 5
Energy Conservation
Reducing USC’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Sustainability 2020 Plan Goals
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions per
square foot by 20% from 2014 baseline
Capitalize on energy risks and
opportunities
Our 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has been realized by applying a
number of wide-ranging solutions that capitalize on energy risks and opportunities.
Installing solar arrays, automated HVAC scheduling, LED lighting and variable
frequency drives to modify motor speeds, plus implementing energy audits and
cultivating vital utility company and city of Los Angeles partnerships have reduced
our energy footprint and helped us achieve our Sustainability 2020 Plan goals.
The Galen Center energy retrofit completed in 2020 was by far one of our
most extensive projects. Fifteen hundred solar modules were added to the rooftop,
arena lights were replaced with LED fixtures and a pony chiller project was
initiated to reduce energy usage from cooling when the arena is at low occupancy.
Once completed, the projected combined savings from projects initiated between
2015 and 2020 is $10 million over the next 25 years, including hundreds of
thousands of dollars’ worth of rebates that USC has already received from the
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
combined savings over the next 25 years
from the Galen Center energy retrofit.
classrooms now integrate classroom
scheduling into their HVAC schedules to
improve efficiency of energy usage.
40% of USC Housing
buildings and nearly 100%
of parking structures have
been upgraded with
LED lighting.
Program Highlights
Solar Panel Installations
• Galen Center installation provides up to
15% of energy needs for the arena.
• Wrigley Marine Science Center
installation provides up to 20% of energy
needs for the dining hall and kitchen.
• Cardinal ‘N Gold apartment installation
provides up to 16,000 kWh of energy
per year.
Automated HVAC
Scheduling Programs
• 237 classrooms now integrate classroom
scheduling into their heating, ventilation,
air conditioning and cooling schedules
to minimize energy usage when
occupancy is low.
• Since 2015, recorded cost savings
are $220,000 and energy savings are
1.5 million kWh.
Existing Building Retro-Commissioning
and Energy Audit Projects
• Projected 200,000 kWh savings per
year at Irani Hall and the USC School of
Cinematic Arts from measures implemented as a result of retro-commissioning
pilot program findings.
Real-time energy use
displays increase awareness
of critical resources and
motivate conservation.
LED Lighting Upgrades
and Installations
• Since 2015, 31 additional buildings
and the Wrigley Marine Science Center
on Catalina Island are now using LED
lighting, which has generated more than
6.7 million kWh in energy savings.
• 40% of USC Housing buildings and
nearly 100% of parking structures have
been upgraded with LED lighting.
Variable Frequency Drive Installations
• 40 variable frequency drives have been
installed across dozens of buildings, which
now benefit from the reduced energy
usage provided by variable frequency
drives during non-peak times.
Energy Efficient Chiller Installations
• 40% improvement in chiller performance
and thousands of kWh savings projected
from units installed at Montgomery
Ross Fisher Building, the USC Norris
Comprehensive Cancer Center and
Hospital, and Norman Topping Tower.
Programs and Partnerships
• EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
aligns 150 USC buildings with Los Angeles’
Green New Deal and the Existing Building
Energy and Water Efficiency Ordinance.
• Partnerships with the LADWP and Southern
California Gas’ Savings by Design program
are helping to optimize efficiency in new
building construction projects.
• Participation in the LADWP’s annual
Demand Response Program since
2016 has reduced energy consumption
and kept conservation top of mind.
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
per square foot since 2014.
2020 Plan Goal: 20%
35%
Reduction
Breakdown of Greenhouse
Gas Reduction
Cleaner power from the LADWP, 20.5%
Increased electricity efficiency, 12.5%
Increased natural gas efficiency, 1%
Reduced fertilizers/refrigerants, <1%
Solar panels will supply as much as 15% of Galen Center’s electricity and produce
915,000 kilowatt-hours annually — enough to power 88 houses for a year.
6 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20
Water Conservation
Reducing USC’s Water Consumption
USC has partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Water and
Power to bring reclaimed water to UPC for irrigation and industrial use.
Thousands of feet of “purple pipe” have been installed underground and
we now await the LADWP’s direction on the next phase of the project.
In addition to that initiative, we’ve implemented other changes to
get us closer to our potable water goal. Multiple water submeters provide
real-time, detailed usage data that helps us make more immediate and
better decisions. Low-flow fixture requirements have been established
and will standardize and guide new construction planning, and many older
faucets have been swapped out for low-flow, touchless models.
On our grounds, drought-tolerant landscaping has been expanded
wherever possible, and centrally controlled and “smart” drip irrigation systems
are increasing watering efficiency. Our native test gardens are as attractive
as they are nurturing, and education and awareness on conservation best
practices and campaigns—such as offering shower timers to USC Housing
residents—are making a difference.
Sustainability 2020 Plan Goals
Decrease potable water use by 25%
from 2014 baseline
Increase awareness of conservation practices
Implement audience-appropriate
educational campaigns
Program Highlights
Potable Water Use
• 10% decrease in the use of potable
water since 2014.
Water Metering
• 17 water submeters installed at UPC
provide real-time, detailed water usage
data and expand our total monitoring
to 30% of UPC buildings.
Drought-Tolerant and Native
Landscaping
• 43% savings in water has been realized
from landscapes that incorporated or
converted to drought-tolerant foliage.
• Three UPC test gardens help USC
understand ideal conditions and required
maintenance for various native species.
• Project managers have been trained
and advised to incorporate droughttolerant and native plants in all new
landscaping.
reduction in potable water
use from 2014 baseline as of
December 2020.
2020 Plan Goal: 25%
USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 7
Fixture Requirements,
Replacements and Upgrades
• Low-flow fixture requirements for all
new construction projects have been
established and will help improve water
conservation efforts.
• 1,242 low-flow, touchless faucets
have been installed in 77 non-housing
buildings as part of a universitywide
replacement initiative.
• Almost 2,000 water flow restrictors
have been installed on hospital sinks,
showerheads and dialysis machines
as part of the Keck Hospital Water
Fixture Program.
Smart Irrigation
• 75% of HSC landscaping has been
converted to drip irrigation systems,
and much of the non-turf landscaping
at UPC uses drip irrigation.
• 152 irrigation controllers have been
installed across both campuses, and 114
of the units feature “smart” technology.
• 90% of UPC irrigation is centrally
controlled and employs weatherbased sensors.
Stormwater Capture and Infiltration
• USC Village’s system can treat and
infiltrate 26,000 cubic feet of rain runoff
and is an important component of
USC’s resilience planning.
• Approximately 40 systems have been
installed at UPC since 2000, and all
construction that adds or changes
more than 500 square feet of hardscape
must capture, treat and infiltrate
stormwater runoff.
of UPC irrigation is centrally
controlled and employs weatherbased sensors.
water sub-meters have been
installed in UPC buildings,
providing real-time, detailed
water usage data.
Six separate filters and
deep dry wells at USC Village
treat rain runoff before
sending it to recharge the
groundwater aquifer.
“Smart” units have built-in water-saving features including a sensor to adjust to the
optimal sprinkler run time based on weather conditions.
8 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20
Waste Diversion
Diverting Campus Waste from Landfills
Our campus waste diversion practices have significantly changed due to
the city of Los Angeles’s 2018 RecycLA waste franchise agreement. We now
separate landfill and recycling waste on campus, and our construction and
demolition waste are now excluded from waste diversion calculations. These
changes have reduced our universitywide waste diversion rate from 54%
in 2015 to about 34% in 2020.
Challenges notwithstanding, we have laid the foundation for increased
waste diversion by adding multistream waste bins that enable more recycling
and composting. The Coliseum’s zero-waste program we spearheaded ranks
among the top in the Pac-12 Conference, and our football season tailgating
programs are fast reducing our waste footprint and increasing awareness of
the importance of waste diversion. In Residential Dining, single-use, personal
consumption items such as individually wrapped condiments have all but been
eradicated, and all residential colleges have introduced composting programs.
More hydration stations are reducing water bottle trash, and a food recovery
partnership program is helping us divert waste and feed local families.
Program Highlights
Zero-Waste Campus Events
• 4,535 pounds of waste were diverted
from local landfills at President Carol L.
Folt’s 2019 inauguration celebration. This
raised awareness about the importance
of recycling and composting and
encouraged other USC event hosts
to strive for zero waste.
• 8,394 pounds of waste were diverted
from select zero-waste tailgate parties
during the 2019 football season.
• The Office of Sustainability, Cultural
Relations and University Events, Auxiliary
Services and Facilities Planning and
Management have collaborated to create
a framework for facilitating campus zerowaste events of all shapes and sizes.
Sustainability 2020 Plan Goals
Achieve 75% waste diversion rate
Expand diversion and recycling programs
and increase awareness
universitywide waste diversion
rate as of December 2020.
2020 Plan Goal: 75%
USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 9
Waste Diversion Infrastructure
• 185 interior multistream waste bins with
signage that illustrates proper landfill and
recycling sorting instructions have been
installed across UPC and HSC.
• All USC Housing residential colleges
have introduced composting programs.
Lobby bins and compost pails available
for in-room use make it easier for
students to compost.
Zero-Waste Programs
• Over 1,000 tons of waste have been
diverted from landfills since 2016 under
the Coliseum’s zero-waste program.
• 85-95% clean streams have resulted
from multistream waste bin “proof
of concept” pilot programs launched
at USC Village and HSC Pappas Quad.
According to findings, providing the
proper tools and instructions leads to
increased recycling and correct
composting.
Waste Reduction in USC Hospitality
• 95% of single-use, personal consumption
items such as individually wrapped packets
of sugar, butter and condiments have been
eliminated in USC Residential Dining.
• 1,100 total pounds of post-consumer
food waste was composted daily* from
all USC Residential Dining locations.
• Over a one-year period, USC Hospitality
diverted 115 tons of food waste into a
prepared-food recovery program supporting unhoused and extremely low-income
families at St. Francis Center.
Hydration Station Installations
• 211 water bottle refill stations installed
across UPC and HSC are reducing
materials entering USC’s waste streams.
*Based on an October 2019 audit of all Residential Dining
post-consumer waste and composting practices.
of single-use, personal consumption
items have been eliminated in
USC Residential Dining.
2020 Waste Diversion
Rate by Location
Universitywide waste diversion rate 33.7%
USC Village 45%
CAL Building 42%
University Park Campus 36%
USC Housing (off campus) 24%
Health Sciences Campus 18%
1,000+ tons of waste
have been diverted from
landfills since 2016 under
the Coliseum’s zero-waste
program.
Multistream waste
bins were installed at
USC Village and
HSC's Pappas Quad
as part of a
zero-waste pilot.
10 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20
Procurement
Increasing Sustainability through Purchasing Decisions
Our commitment to sourcing sustainable food for USC Hospitality has led
us to far exceed our goal of purchasing 20% of food from sustainable sources,
and the USC Teaching Garden, which leverages aeroponic farming at scale,
enables us to grow food directly on our campus and reduce emissions from
transportation.
We have engaged 75% of USC departments in responsible purchasing
practices by developing a sustainable purchasing web page and communicating
with all authorized purchasers in the USC eMarket about buying green. Our copy
paper has gotten greener—30% post-consumer recycled vs. 0%—and we’ve
reconfigured how it’s delivered to campus to green that process, as well. Trojan
Print, a managed print services program, optimizes our print environment, cuts
energy usage through the use of Xerox Energy Star devices, and cuts waste by
reducing the need for widespread use of desktop printers. These initiatives
have laid the groundwork for ever-improving sustainable purchasing
practices across the university.
Sustainability 2020 Plan Goals
Purchase 20% of food from
sustainable sources
Engage 75% of USC departments in
responsible purchasing practices
Program Highlights
Purchasing Food from
Sustainable Sources
• 41.4% of food purchases for USC
Hospitality are from sustainable sources.
• USC Teaching Garden, an aeroponic tower
garden, uses 90% less water and 90%
less land than a traditional garden to grow
2,640 edible plants for USC Hospitality,
minimizing the need to truck-in produce
from as far as 250 miles away. USC is the
first university in the nation to have an
aeroponics farming effort of this scale.
of food purchases for USC Hospitality
are from sustainable sources.
2020 Plan Goal: 20%
USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 11
USC Hospitality Sustainable Purchases
by Category as of December 2020
Sustainable items (% by dollars spent)
Non-sustainable items (% by dollars spent)
Procurement of Sustainable
Goods and Services
• USC Purchasing’s website aggregates
“buying green” information and educates
schools and departments on how to
do so using USC’s network of preferred
suppliers.
• Green delivery methods from Office
Depot such as reusable totes and recycled
paper bags reduce cardboard and packing
material waste across the university.
• Trojan Print, a campuswide managed
print program, leverages new technology
to centralize and eliminate widespread
desktop printing, which helps reduce
paper waste and energy consumption.
• 30% post-consumer recycled content is
now the standard for copy paper.
• USC Hotel has earned Green Seal
Silver Certification for leadership in key
sustainable categories including
environmentally sensitive purchasing.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and website enhancement ensures
information such as available products,
requirements and suppliers will stay
current with purchaser’s needs and the
university’s green buying goals.
Produce and
Dairy
Grocery and
Paper
Seafood Meats
74%
26%
18%
82%
57%
43%
76%
24%
post-consumer recycled content
is now the standard for copy paper.
less water and land is used by
USC Teaching Garden than used
by a traditional garden.
USC Purchasing’s website
aggregates “buying green”
information and educates
schools and departments.
USC Teaching Garden uses aeroponics to grow produce for
Residential Dining.
12 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 13
Transportation
Making Sustainable Transportation a Reality
We achieved our overall transportation goals in 2018 but didn’t stop there.
In the last five years, we’ve accelerated the adoption of innovative programs,
and for over a decade have exceeded our South Coast Air Quality Management
District target of an average 1.5 riders per vehicle.
We have expanded participation in alternative transportation programs,
through generous transit subsidies, more electric vehicle charging stations, a
platform offering multimodal options, free parking for HSC carpoolers, parking
wayfinding systems, Campus Cruiser hybrids and a green bus fleet. These
initiatives have put us on the map as a model for other city and state
transportation organizations to follow.
Program Highlights
Carpooling, Ride-share
and Car-share Programs
• For more than 10 years, USC has exceeded
its SCAQMD target of an average of 1.5
riders per vehicle coming to campus and
in 2019 achieved an average of 2.0 riders
per vehicle.
• Free parking for HSC carpoolers is
addressing limited parking spot inventory
and helping reduce single-occupancy
vehicle use.
• USC Campus Cruiser, the evening/latenight ride share program, maintains a fleet
of highly rated green and hybrid vehicles
equipped with Uber-like technologies that
reduce wait time and optimize shared
rides, further supporting USC’s greenhouse
gas emissions reduction goals.
• A fleet of 25 Zipcar vehicles*, customized
for the USC community and available 24/7,
helps decrease the need for students to
bring their personal vehicles to campus.
Public transit
subsidies are
available for USC
employees.
Mobile and Remote
Assistance Technologies
• Through strategic partnerships and
integrations with Metro, Metrolink, Zipcar,
Waze, Midway and Lyft, the Traveler
mobile platform provides multimodal trip
planning options and has saved users
$20,000 and the environment 27.4 tons
of CO2 emissions.
• Parking assistance using vehicle wayfinding systems in Downey Way and McCarthy
Way parking structures has guided over
1.1 million vehicles and eliminated over
27 tons of CO2 since 2019.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
• 138 EV charging ports are located in
select parking structures and parking
lots across both UPC and HSC.
Transit Subsidies
• 50% of employees’ public transit costs
are subsidized through the USC Transit
Subsidy Program. Since the program was
launched in October 2019, 174 fewer cars
have commuted daily to campus.
• Reduced fares and unlimited rides
on Metro rail and bus lines are available
to graduate students through the
U-Pass Program.
Biofuel Transportation
• 28 USC buses run on biofuel and
transport faculty, staff and students in
and around UPC and surrounding
neighborhoods, Downtown Los Angeles,
Marina del Rey and HSC.
• B5 biodiesel fuel is available at the
USC gas station.
*During the COVID-19 pandemic, the fleet has been
reduced to four vehicles.
Sustainability 2020 Plan Goals
Reduce single-occupancy vehicles
traveling to/from USC's campuses
Expand participation in alternative
transportation programs
In 2019, USC achieved an average of
2.0 riders per vehicle coming to campus,
exceeding our SCAQMD target of 1.5.
EV charging ports are available
across UPC and HSC.
USC Transportation
is a City of Los
Angeles Certified
Green Business
of employees’ public transit
costs are subsidized through the
USC Transit Subsidy Program.
Over 27 tons of CO2 emissions
have been eliminated through
Mobile and Remote Assistance
Technologies since 2019.
14 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 USC Sustainability Summary Report 2015-20 15
Program Highlights
Multimedia Marketing
• Multiplatform marketing and engagement
campaigns educate the USC community
and help keep sustainability practices
top of mind.
• The Office of Sustainability’s newsletter and
website feature campus sustainability news,
events and progress toward plan goals.
Program Support and Development
• The Office of Sustainability supports
the Coliseum’s zero-waste program by
ensuring vendors comply with the
venue’s sustainability standards.
• The Office of Sustainability oversees the
“Trojan Trash Talkers” outreach program,
through which students educate campus
tailgaters on sustainability efforts and how
to sort compostables and recyclables.
• The inaugural Green Game at Galen Center
diverted 91.6% of waste from landfills
through upstream waste reduction,
multistream sorting bins and fan education.
• The “Team Up to Clean Up Expo Park”
partnership event with Republic Services
and the California Science Center brought
neighbors together to tidy the shared
community green space.
• USC’s Green Engagement Fund awards
student-driven projects that support
sustainable practices and education at
USC. More than $37,000 has been
awarded since 2014.
Sustainability Programming
• Annual Earth Week celebrations bring
the Trojan community together to discuss
topics in sustainability at USC and beyond.
• Participation in USC summer and winter
orientation and new employee onboarding
events allows the Office of Sustainability
to educate all incoming undergraduate
students, transfer students and nonacademic staff on the university’s
sustainability initiatives.
• Subject matter experts provide students
with data and resources necessary to
execute experiential learning projects
that use our campuses as living labs for
sustainability.
Data Tracking and Reporting
• The Office of Sustainability has begun
USC’s first Sustainability Tracking,
Assessment and Rating System (STARS)
report to measure and manage sustainability progress and to educate departments across the university on their
role in building a greener USC.
• The Office of Sustainability spearheaded
the development of USC’s next long-range
sustainability plan, gathering insights from
850 students, staff and faculty through
the Sustainability 2028 Plan survey.
Engagement
Educating our Community about Sustainability at USC
Sustainability 2020 Plan Goals
Increase awareness of
sustainability practices
Establish USC as a living laboratory
for sustainability
Engage the broader community
in sustainability
students, staff and faculty shared
insights through the Sustainability
2028 Plan survey.
Coliseum vendors engaged by the
Office of Sustainability have ensured
zero-waste compliance at every
Trojan football game since 2016.
has been awarded through the USC
Green Engagement Fund for studentdriven sustainability projects.
Multiplatform marketing
and engagement campaigns
educate the USC community
and help keep sustainability
practices top of mind.
Since 2015, the Office of Sustainability has grown from one to four full-time
staffers, enabling increased campuswide sustainability reporting, outreach and
programming which has elevated awareness of USC sustainability practices.
The Office of Sustainability and staff subject matter experts piloted ad
hoc experiential learning projects by conducting presentations to classes,
connecting students with campus operational data and facilitating projects
that used our campuses as living labs for sustainability. These efforts laid the
groundwork for an experiential learning program to be launched in phases
beginning fall 2021. Annual progress reports have kept the community apprised
of projects and achievements, and twice-yearly public sustainability forums
provide opportunities to engage with staff executing this work. The Office of
Sustainability has also begun USC’s first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment
and Rating System (STARS) report and has spearheaded development of the
next long-range sustainability plan, both of which are
critical to advancing sustainability at USC.
The Office of Sustainability also convenes students,
faculty and staff periodically throughout the year to discuss
sustainability strategies through USC’s Sustainability
Steering Committee.
Looking Ahead
Sustainability at USC is an institutional priority.
As a top private educational research institution
and the largest private employer in Los Angeles,
we are in a singular position to meaningfully
influence and impact our region and our planet.
As we close out the Sustainability 2020 Plan,
we are encouraged by our foundational accomplishments and look forward to the next step in our
journey—the launch of the 2028 Sustainability Plan.
The 2028 Sustainability Plan is our future
envisioned. It will integrate operational, research,
academic and branding initiatives into a comprehensive program that will cement our stature as a
sustainability leader and ready us for the 2028
Summer Olympics, when the eyes of the world
will be on Los Angeles and on USC.
“You revel in the moment,
and you think about how
amazing it is that advocacy
and activism actually
works and that it really
does yield change.”
- Tianna Shaw-Wakeman,
Class of 2021
Photos: cover: USC Photo/Gus Ruelas; inside front cover: Art Streiber Photography; p2: David Ginsburg; p5: USC Photo/Gus Ruelas; p6: Shutterstock; p7: USC Design Studio/Jorge Negrete;
p9: USC Photo/Gus Ruelas; p10: USC Photo/Ling Luo; p11: USC Photo/Gus Ruelas; p13: USC Photo/Susanica Tam; p14: Emily Smith; p15: USC/Elias Platte-Bermeo; p16: Daily Trojan/Andrea Diaz,
Samantha Hardy, Daily Trojan/Autria Mashian, Nathaniel Hyman; inside back cover: USC Photo/Gus Ruelas
Students are partners and change agents in
advancing campus sustainability. They’ve
moved their peers to action through grassroot
panels and forums, rallies and zero-waste
events, clothing swaps, monthlong Earth Day
celebrations, Veg-Fests and much more.
As active members on the Sustainability
Steering Committee and the Presidential
Working Group on Sustainability, they shape
governance. In 2020, they formed DivestSC,
an advocacy group that lobbied USC’s administration to take a more visible and active
stance on sustainability issues and to invest
in renewable energy and green technology
funds rather than fossil fuels.
Student Initiatives
Clockwise from top left: Environmental Core
students advocating for greater campus sustainability; Bloom Boutique hosting a sustainable
clothing swap; Bill Nye with the Environmental
Student Assembly on Earth Day 2019; and USC’s
first major student-organized climate rally in 2019.
For more information about
this report, please contact:
USC Office of Sustainability
University of Southern California
3434 S. Grand Avenue, CAL
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2811
green.usc.edu
@green.usc
Printed on Conservation 100% Post-Consumer Waste
Thank you to these partners, whose
hard work has been instrumental in
advancing sustainability at USC:
Presidential Working Group on Sustainability,
Provost, Sustainability Steering Committee, Office
of Sustainability, Academic Senate, Staff Assembly,
Facilities Planning and Management, Auxiliary Services,
Procurement, Athletics, USC Dornsife Environmental
Studies Program, Undergraduate Student Government,
Graduate Student Government, Environmental
Student Assembly and other student groups.