Virginia Tech Sustainability Reports
Climate Action Commitment
Virginia Tech’s Climate Action Commitment aims to achieve carbon neutrality by transforming campus infrastructure, advancing collective and individual action, and integrating sustainability into the university’s educational mission. It emphasizes engaging the entire university community in building a culture of sustainability and pursuing these goals through just and equitable approaches.
Sustainability Annual Report
Virginia Tech’s annual sustainability report highlights the university’s progress toward its Climate Action Commitment goals. Key metrics include greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, alternative transportation, recycling, and campus sustainability engagement.
For archived reports from previous years, please email the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@vt.edu.
Greenhouse Gas Assessment and Inventory
Virginia Tech measures campus-wide energy consumption, including the amount of low carbon energy use, and tracks progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing renewable energy use. Through the Division of Facilities’ Office of Energy Management, the university collects and analyzes utility data, monitors energy use, and evaluates energy-efficiency improvements.
The university uses this inventory to inform planning, policies, and operational decisions that support emissions reductions and progress toward carbon neutrality by 2030. The assessment also helps students, faculty, and staff understand the environmental impacts of campus activities. In particular, Scope 3 emissions—which include commuting, purchasing, and waste—highlight opportunities for the campus community to contribute to emissions reduction through individual and collective action.
For archived reports from previous years, please email the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@vt.edu.
Recycling
Virginia Tech tracks campus waste through two primary categories: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Principal Recyclable Materials (PRM). MSW includes materials sent to landfills, while PRM includes materials collected for recycling or composting, such as plastics, metals, glass, and organic waste.
The university works to reduce waste generation, divert reusable and recyclable materials from landfills, and support more sustainable material management practices across campus. Tracking these waste streams helps assess progress and identify opportunities to improve recycling and waste reduction.
For archived reports from previous years, please email the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@vt.edu.
AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS)
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework that helps colleges and universities assess and communicate their sustainability performance. STARS evaluates sustainability across institutional activities and provides a common framework for tracking progress, identifying opportunities for improvement, and recognizing achievements. It supports institutions at all stages of their sustainability journey, from establishing initial sustainability initiatives to advancing comprehensive, long-term goals.