The Final Four of Green Universities
The Sustainable Endowments Institute has issued its 2008 College Sustainability Report Card (PDF file)–and in the spirit of March Madness, we decided to take a look at which of the 65 NCAA Men’s Tournament teams would have gone to San Antonio had energy efficiency, green buildings, and recycling been the deciding factors, rather than athletic prowess.
Why? Because Duke University (PDF file), Stanford University (PDF file), the University System of California (PDF file), and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (PDF file)–the four tournament schools that earned the best grades–are now leading the green university movement and demonstrating how getting out in front of a hot issue can bolster a brand.
As rising costs and increased environmental awareness take center stage in the public energy debate, these schools are branding themselves as the “green standard” around which other institutions can rally. By signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and making sustainability a key element of their strategic plans, they are solidifying the perception that they are on the cutting edge and hitting their target audiences–future applicants–with a message that is sure to resonate with American youth.
Furthermore, by receiving third-party validation of their efforts, these schools have lent credibility to the greening of the campuses as more institutions of higher learning jump on the bandwagon and it gets harder and harder to decipher who is truly committed to energy reform, and who is just full of hot air.
Communications at its best is all about leadership. And when institutions gain high-profile recognition of the fact that they are leading the pack, they strengthen their brands as well as their bottom lines.
