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Gabby Abbott
Media@LUC.edu
CHICAGO—Loyola University Chicago has earned the Platinum rating—the highest possible—from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in their Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). With more than 1,200 participants in 52 countries, Loyola is the first institution in the Midwest to achieve this level and joins only 10 other U.S.-based and seven international institutions in receiving a Platinum designation.
Loyola’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.
“STARS is a valuable tool for considering the full breadth of sustainability initiatives here at Loyola,” said Loyola’s Director of Sustainability Aaron Durnbaugh. “It is not just the clean energy we use or the waste we compost and recycle. Our mission helps us consider everything through a sustainability impact lens, from academic and University engagement to the infrastructure and campus developments in support of our students.”
AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics, 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership.
Led by Loyola’s School of Environmental Sustainability (SES) and Office of Sustainability, more than 80 Loyola participants submitted data for the report, which was then reviewed by staff from the University of Illinois Chicago before being submitted to AASHE.
Highlighted in Loyola’s report were opportunities for students to play an active role in programs that address sustainability challenges, including the:
- Biodiesel Production Program, where students collect used cooking oil and convert it into biodiesel and soap;
- Urban Agriculture Program & Campus Gardens, where students plan, grow, and manage crops for local distribution and donation; and
- Zero Waste Games Program, student leaders implement waste diversion strategies and engage visitors at campus athletic events.
Several Loyola departments and units, including Loyola Athletics, the Office for Community Service and Action, Campus Ministry, and the Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (CELTS) build sustainability-focused experiential learning opportunities into their programs.
“The Platinum rating reflects our ongoing commitment to planning, building, and stewarding our campuses according to the highest standards of sustainability,” said Kana Henning, vice president for facilities and campus management at Loyola. “From long-term infrastructure investments to daily operations, we are intentional about creating spaces that advance environmental responsibility, support the well-being of our community, and reflect our mission-driven values.”
In 2024, Loyola announced that it achieved carbon neutrality on its Chicago-area campuses, becoming the first university in the Chicago area to achieve carbon neutrality for its primary energy use. The University’s progress toward net-zero emissions has been marked by important milestones along the way: a commitment to 100 percent renewable electricity; $150 million invested in high-performing buildings and the long-term Campus Plan; the growth of SES; and the inclusion of sustainability in the University’s core undergraduate curriculum.
Loyola’s efforts extend beyond its campus boundaries to engage local stakeholders in environmental restoration and civic outreach. Notably, in 2025 Loyola launched a collaboration with multiple community and environmental organizations—including Friends of the Chicago River, Shedd Aquarium, Urban Rivers, the Chicago Park District, and several neighborhood‑based groups—to carry out a new initiative called “Chicago Trash Trap Team: Trapping, Tracking, and Thwarting Litter in Our Waterways.”
Learn more about sustainability at Loyola by visiting SustainLoyola.
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About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, recognized for its academic excellence, commitment to community engagement, and leadership in sustainability. A Carnegie R1 research institution, Loyola leverages its status as one of an elite group of universities with the highest level of research activity to advance knowledge that serves communities and creates global impact. With 15 schools, colleges, and institutes—including Business, Law, Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences—Loyola operates three primary campuses in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, that provide students a transformative, globally connected learning experience. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top universities by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is a STARS Platinum-rated institution that is ranked as one of the country’s most sustainable campuses by The Princeton Review and has earned distinctions from AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation for its longstanding record of service and community engagement. Guided by its Jesuit mission and commitment to caring for the whole person, Loyola educates ethical leaders who think critically, act with purpose, and strive to create a more just and sustainable world.
About AASHE
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org.
For more information about the STARS program, visit stars.aashe.org.
