The University of Wisconsin-Madison achieved a Gold rating from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), marking a major step forward in the university’s environmental initiatives after receiving Silver rating in 2021.
The recognition places UW-Madison among more than 140 institutions nationwide with Gold status and signals a deeper commitment to environmental accountability. Sustainability administrators say maintaining the rating — because of updates to the scoring criteria next year — provides benchmarks for students, faculty and staff who want to hold UW-Madison accountable to its long-term climate and sustainability goals.
“We improved in almost all areas since 2021,” Missy Nergard, UW’s director of sustainability, told The Daily Cardinal. “We enacted a range of activities including launching the Sustainability Research Hub, expanding composting, administering the sustainability survey, receiving our Bee Campus Certification and conducting a biodiversity assessment of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve.”
The university’s February 2024 announcement of formal sustainability goals played a decisive role in lifting its score. The goals gave UW-Madison a framework to prioritize work across the four STARS categories — Academics, Engagement, Operations and Planning and Administration.
Nergard said her office identified key performance indicators, such as reducing types of greenhouse gas emissions, while also tracking supportive measures like emissions per person. That balance of hard data and qualitative evidence provided a clearer picture of progress.
Operationally, the university focused on carbon accounting and emissions tracking systems, improved waste diversion practices, expanded Earth Fest and sustainable landscape management, Nergard said. Together, those initiatives helped UW-Madison make up ground on credits where it previously lagged.
Despite the progress, UW-Madison faced significant hurdles in the reporting process, taking 8 to 10 months to collect data from around campus. “We are able to overcome this challenge through great engagement and collaboration from across campus, including institutional data teams, academic departments, research centers, student groups, natural areas staff and close partnerships with University Housing and Facilities Planning & Management,” Nergard said.
Looking ahead, UW-Madison is already preparing for STARS 3.0, the next version of the reporting framework. Nergard said the university expects to place more focus on renewable electricity, emissions, materials management and energy usage.
She added UW-Madison plans to align with the RISE-EARTH initiative, which will expand research and teaching opportunities in sustainability, while also broadening experiential learning for students.
“Our next step is to look at the changes in STARS 3.0 and assess where we are likely to gain or lose points,” Nergard said. “It will be vital to continue to make progress towards our goals around renewable electricity, emissions, materials management, and energy usage.”
For the sustainability team, the Gold ranking is both recognition and a responsibility.
“It’s a big lift, but we see real value in it,” Nergard said. “STARS has been part of how UW-Madison tells its sustainability story since 2019, and it keeps us accountable to goals and stakeholders.”
Alaina Walsh is the associate news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has covered breaking news on city crimes and a variety of state and campus stories, including the 2024 presidential election and the UW-Madison budget.
