In recognition of its campus sustainability accomplishments in areas such as energy and water conservation, transportation, creating a sustainable permaculture garden and composting dining hall food waste, the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently received a gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
UMass Amherst scored a 66.49 out of the possible 104 points to earn its gold rating. The highest category is platinum, which requires a score of 85 or better. AASHE reports that with just over 100 colleges and universities participating as of this month, none received platinum, 22 received gold, 55 received silver and 21 received bronze. Six institutions submitted data in "reporter" mode, making it public while not seeking an overall score. The rating is good for three years.
