Sustainability Action Plan progress

2025 update

With our current five-year Sustainability Action Plan concluding in 2024-2025, we are set to begin the next phase of our sustainability efforts. The University will develop a new plan that will guide us towards our 2050 sustainability objectives. This plan will address the needs of our tri-campus community and involve a range of partners in its creation.

Stay informed about progress, learn about the planning process, and discover ways to get involved on the Sustainability Action Plan update page.

Updating the plan

2020-2025 Sustainability Action Plan wrap up

Updated November 2025

Revamping the UW Sustainability Action Plan

In 2020, the University of Washington launched its first Sustainability Action Plan. The Plan outlined ten measurable targets to guide our work over five years and marked an important milestone in bringing greater alignment and visibility to sustainability efforts across our campuses. It was also our first attempt to prioritize sustainability goals in a transparent and actionable way.

This first plan was developed in the months before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Despite the challenges that followed, we made meaningful progress on sustainability. A key takeaway from this first planning cycle ;was that progress was strongest when roles were clear, systems were established, and staff capacity was in place. In other cases, promising ideas stalled without the resources or structure to advance them. We also learned that collaboration across departments and disciplines is essential. The most effective initiatives united operations, academics, and student leadership to move efforts forward.

Now, five years later, we are closing out this chapter and preparing to launch our next plan. This report reflects on what was accomplished through the 2020–2025 plan, challenges along the way, and how we are carrying forward lessons into the next phase of our work. These insights have informed the next Sustainability Action Plan, which will guide our work through 2030 in order to achieve UW’s long-term sustainability vision.

The new Sustainability Action Plan introduces several important updates compared to the first Plan:

Focus areas have been added that were not previously covered, such as water conservation, procurement practices, and more.
We asked our community what sustainability ‘success’ would look like for UW in 2050 to develop a long-term vision of what we want to achieve.
Each focus area has five-year actions and targets that align with a longer-term 2050 vision.
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Plan actions are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound).
Storytelling will be woven into the new SAP to help motivate and inspire students, faculty, and staff to get engaged.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the 2020–2025 plan. Your participation is critical to making this a community driven plan, and we look forward to working with students, faculty and staff on implementation across the tri-campus.

Target progress:

I. Double Student, Staff, and Faculty Sustainability Engagement by 2024

Progress:

Hosted dozens of events annually, including a Decarbonization Town Hall, Earth Week celebrations, sustainability webinar series, Power Plant tours, student-led career panels and many more.
Launched a student-led Energy Task Force and Sustainability Advisory Board to embed student voices in strategic planning.
Launched the Huskies for Equitable Sustainability (HuES) group to support interdisciplinary student sustainability projects, organizations and efforts.
Updated the sustainability.uw.edu website with new dashboards, tools and storytelling content.
Expanded the Environmental Stewardship Committee’s representation to include a broader segment of the UW tri-campus community.

By-the-Numbers:

20% increase in website traffic (Jan–June 2024 vs. 2023).
More than $1.6 million in Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) grants were awarded from 2021 to 2025, supporting more than 140 student-led sustainability projects across all three campuses.
Green Labs white paper developed by undergraduate students (2024).

Status: Partially achieved. Engagement has increased through events, advisory groups, and communications, but how to measure engagement and doubling quantitatively remains a challenge.

II. One UW-Wide Sustainability Framework

Progress:

Convened cross-campus stakeholders to develop and adopt a shared definition of sustainability (2022).
Finalized UW-wide mission and vision statements in 2023, now guiding institutional sustainability communication and planning.
Explored sustainability course tagging with academic units to support future curriculum integration.
UW Medicine convened a committee to address its environmental impact through initiatives in waste diversion, energy and water conservation, sustainable procurement, and greenhouse gas reduction, while also weaving sustainability principles into patient care.

By-the-Numbers:

Developed a university-wide sustainability definition (2022)
Mission and vision adopted (2023)

Status: Achieved. This goal was fully met with the development of a formal definition of sustainability in 2022 and the adoption of a sustainability mission and vision in 2023. These foundational tools have been integrated into strategy and communication efforts and are actively guiding SAP development.

III. Double Sustainability-Oriented Research Projects by 2025

Progress: No formal inventory was completed for sustainability research projects.

By-the-Numbers: UW is a global leader in research and innovation, supported by a vast network of laboratories and more than 280 research centers and institutes.

Status: Not Achieved. The target of doubling sustainability-oriented research could not be verified due to the lack of a system-wide baseline or tracking mechanism. It was also difficult to define what counted as “sustainability-oriented” research across disciplines.

This experience showed that focusing on outputs alone was not the correct approach for research- and academic-based targets. In our next plan, we are shifting from measuring research volume to creating more opportunities and ready-to-implement projects that students can join, with clear mechanisms for tracking and reporting their impacts.

IV. Develop comprehensive equitable purchasing targets by 2022

Progress:

UW Procurement teams expanded the Supplier Diversity program, emphasizing engagement with small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses to increase opportunity and transparency.
UW Procurement teams incorporated a sustainability and/or supplier diversity questionnaire into many procurement solicitations, in addition to cost, performance, and product requirements.
Mandatory sustainability requirements (Pass/Fail) were included in solicitations for specific products, ensuring sustainability considerations directly influence purchasing decisions.

By-the-Numbers:

Expanded the pool of diverse and historically disadvantaged suppliers from 16 to 19 between 2022 and 2024.
Based on the 2022 UW Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory Report, the creation and delivery of goods and services purchased for the tri-campus resulted in approximately 338,000 MtCO2e, which is 64% of the University’s total emissions.

Status: In progress. While UW has elevated supplier diversity practices and introduced sustainability considerations into procurement, the University has not yet established formal, comprehensive equitable purchasing targets. This highlights the need for measurable goals that connect supplier diversity and sustainability with UW’s broader climate and equity commitments.

V. 5% Lower Emissions from Professional Travel by 2025

Progress:

Included professional travel (air travel) for the first time in the 2022 GHG Inventory, establishing a baseline.
Formed a Professional Travel Emission Policy Committee with strong faculty leadership.
Developed a resolution calling for the UW to address greenhouse emissions from air travel, which was voted on at the Faculty Senate.

By-the-Numbers: In 2022, professional air travel accounted for 6.29% of UW’s total emissions, or roughly 33,000 metric tons CO₂e. This level represented a 47.7% reduction from 2019 due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.

Status: Not achieved. UW now has the data and governance structure needed to address air travel emissions, however the Faculty Senate voted not to pass the proposed resolution to address emissions from UW sponsored air travel.

VI. 35% of Food is From Local Sources by 2025

Note: Soon after the original SAP was adopted, new research and guidance found that increasing plant-based food options has a greater impact on reducing emissions than focusing on local sourcing. While the target was not officially revised, HFS shifted priorities accordingly, joining the Menus of Change initiative to expand plant-based offerings.

Progress:

Expanded local vendor partnerships through Housing & Food Services (HFS).
Rolled out Balanced Plate program and Net Nutrition to promote plant-forward menus.
Increased sourcing from women-owned, minority-owned, and small local businesses.

By-the-Numbers:

In 2024, 33.5% of food purchased by HFS was sourced locally.
At the current rate, UW is on pace to meet or exceed the 35% local sourcing target by 2025.

Status: On track. Housing & Food Services is sourcing 33.5% of food locally and is well-positioned to reach the 35% target by 2025. This reflects strong recovery efforts following pandemic-related disruptions, including re-establishing a cross-departmental food systems working group. Looking ahead, the work in this area will likely focus on enhancing existing programs that address food security and nutrition, as well as developing an organizational strategy to address issues such as food waste, food access, climate impacts, and equity.

VII. 6% Decrease in Single-Occupancy Commuting by 2028

Progress:

Provided fully subsidized U-PASS to over 22,000 employees.
Expanded secure bike storage and improved Burke-Gilman Trail safety.
Reached a historic 13% drive-alone (SOV) rate in 2022, the lowest ever recorded at UW and among the lowest nationally for a major university.
Adjusted the target in 2022 to reflect campus-specific baselines.

By-the-Numbers:

In 2023, the drive-alone rate increased slightly to 16.3% and to 16.6% in 2024.
The 2028 goal for Seattle is a 12% drive-alone rate.

Status: On track. UW has made significant investments in transit access, most notably by expanding the fully subsidized U-PASS to employees. Single-occupancy commuting has slightly increased post-pandemic (16.6% in 2024 vs. 13% in 2022). This reflects broader regional challenges, including fluctuating transit service and hybrid work patterns. Meeting the 2028 target of 12% will require more education and community engagement on the benefits of transit, enhancements to biking and pedestrian infrastructure, and close collaboration with transit agencies.

VII. 15% Lower Energy Usage Intensity by 2025

Progress:

Hired AEI to develop an implementation plan to transition the Seattle Campus Power Plant off fossil fuels. The published plan is a key step in reducing UW’s energy use and advancing decarbonization.
Increased annual energy efficiency budget from $500,000 to $1.5M; goal to reach $3M.
Purchased EnergyCAP software as a single platform for UW Seattle to centralize energy, emissions, and water data.
Expanded building energy metering to track and optimize building energy use.
Adopted new Green Building Standard in 2024, which ensures all construction and renovation projects maximize energy and water efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and align with principles of equity, ecological harmony and health & well-being.
UW Bothell reduced electricity use by over 1 million kWh in 2023.

By-the-Numbers:

Campus energy use intensity (EUI) increased 22 percent, rising from 94.7 kBtu per square foot per year in July 2021 to 115.6 in August 2025.
The Power Plant Reliability Project upgraded campus boilers and achieved a reduction of over 10,000 metric tons CO₂e annually, which represents nearly a 12% cut in the Power Plant’s emissions.
Metering improvements included installation of deduct meters on building cooling towers (e.g., Burke Museum, Paccar Hall) and steam condensate efficiency meters in 18 buildings.
UW’s Resource Conservation Management (RCM) program implements approximately $3 million annually in energy efficiency projects, with reinvestment strategies to sustain the program.

Status: Not achieved. The target was not met. Campus energy use intensity (EUI) increased 22 percent from 2021 to 2025, despite UW Seattle reducing Power Plant emissions by 12 percent through expanded conservation and efficiency efforts. Continued work will focus on lowering electricity use and advancing decarbonization guided by the Energy Renewal Plan.

IX. 10% Less Solid Waste

Progress:

Converted eight Seattle academic buildings to single-stream recycling with centralized compost collection and improved signage.
Piloted a reusable cup program at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Piloted donation drives to promote reuse of furniture and other items during residence hall move-outs.
Released UW’s first Zero Waste Assessment Report, establishing a baseline for waste generation and diversion.
Launched contamination-prevention outreach campaigns in residence halls to improve recycling and compost quality.
UW Bothell installed smart sensors to optimize waste collection routes.
Tacoma explored waste reduction strategies through student-led living lab projects.

By-the-Numbers:

In 2022, solid waste contributed 0.6% of UW’s total greenhouse gas emissions, a small but highly visible component of the footprint.
The “Give & Go” move-out pilot at Bothell diverted 800+ pounds of material in its first year.
Seattle campus 2023 Data:
- 50.2% diversion rate (2,501 tons recycled, 1,896 tons composted, 1,444 tons reused).
- 5,783 metric tons sent to landfill or incineration.
- About 348 pounds of waste per person (students + employees).

Status: Not achieved. UW diverted over 50% of its waste in 2023, surpassing national averages and reflecting strong recycling, composting, and reuse programs. However, total non-hazardous waste generation reached 11,624 metric tons, showing no decline from the 2019 baseline. Landfill and incineration tonnage also rose about 20%, against a goal of a 10% reduction by 2025. These results highlight the need to shift from managing waste after it is created to reduce waste at the source, which will be a priority in the next Sustainability Action Plan.

X. 45% Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by 2030

Progress:

Published a comprehensive 2022 GHG Inventory, which for the first time included purchased goods and services - the largest portion of UW’s footprint.
Expanded Scope 3 (indirect emissions) reporting, including business travel, commuting, purchased goods and services, capital goods, and waste.
Adopted a new Green Building Standard in 2024 to ensure all new construction and major renovations is aligned with UW’s climate goals.
Expanded governance and data capacity, enabling clearer measurement of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
Advanced complementary efforts: fleet electrification, expanded subsidized transit programs, active commuting infrastructure, and early work to embed sustainable purchasing practices.
UW Bothell and UW Tacoma both initiated building-level efficiency and renewable energy projects to align with system-wide goals.

By-the-Numbers:

UW’s total emissions in 2022 were 527,510 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e) compared to 474,513 MtCO₂e in 2005—an 11% increase rather than the targeted 45% reduction.
Emissions sources in 2022 were:
- 64% from purchased goods and services (Scope 3)
- 18.5% from fossil fuel combustion (Scope 1)
- 6.3% from air travel (Scope 3)
- 5.7% from commuting (Scope 3)
The Seattle campus Power Plant remains the single largest direct source of emissions, accounting for 93% of UW’s Scope 1 emissions.
The Power Plant Reliability Project has already reduced its annual emissions by ~10,000 MtCO₂e.

Status: In progress. While UW has made significant strides in reducing energy consumption and emissions across the tri-campus, total greenhouse gas emissions have increased since 2005. Accelerating emissions reductions is dependent on UW’s ability to invest in decarbonizing the Seattle Power Plant, expanding sustainable procurement strategies, and advancing systemic changes in commuting and professional travel.

See more details and the year-by-year progress reports for each target at the links below.