Sustainability at Bryn Mawr
We approach sustainability with the innovative thinking Bryn Mawr is known for and recognize sustainability as an issue of social justice, vital to our goals as a socially responsible institution.
Earth Week @ Bryn Mawr
APRIL 13 - 19, 2024: Earth Week engages the entire Bryn Mawr College community in understanding progress toward our sustainability goals and what actions can lessen our carbon footprint and reduce our use of non-renewable resources.
Recent News
AASHE Silver Star Rating
Bryn Mawr College is silver star rated by the AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework that colleges and universities to measure sustainability performance. Our silver star rating was earned on June 29, 2017 and is valid through January 7, 2027.
The Greenhouse Gas Inventory
A commitment to environmental sustainability.
In Spring of 2021, Bryn Mawr College announced our commitment to be carbon neutral by 2035. Since FY 2015, the College has received credit for purchased Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for 100 percent of its electricity purchases. As part of our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, in 2022 we completed an update of the College's Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The report acknowledges the College's continued progress to reach carbon neutrality. Below is Bryn Mawr's greenhouse gas inventory report.
Explore our Goals & Initiatives
Energy Consumption
Conservation hours, temperature set points, building HVAC optimizations, solar energy, wind power, LED bulbs...
Resource Management
Food composting, reducing take-out, bottle-filling stations, electronic billing, document management system, recycling, reuse, leaf composting...
Teaching and Learning
Environmental studies, geology, biology, growth & structure of cities, 360 course clusters, study abroad, summer programs...
Campus Greening
Community garden, 3600+ campus trees, tree planting, low-mow wildflower areas, tree planting on legacy mine lands...
Measurable Progress
Progress on our commitment to becoming a carbon-neutral campus, as reported in our 2022 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Update.
Get Involved
Tips for students, faculty, and staff who want to contribute to Bryn Mawr's sustainability efforts.
Sustainability Tour
Take a virtual tour of our campus to learn about all the sustainability work we've been doing!
Sustainability Leadership Group
The Sustainability Leadership Group (SLG) was formed to direct the implementation of the Climate Action Plan and organize college-wide sustainability programs. The Climate Action Plan aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the College by 10 percent over the span of ten years.