Triple Zero

UC Merced Earns Perfect Score, Ranks 7th in Nation on Princeton Review’s ‘Top 50 Green Colleges’ List

November 9, 2025

UC Merced was recognized again as a national leader in sustainability, earning a perfect Green Rating score and ranking No. 7 in the nation on The Princeton Review’s 2025 list of Top 50 Green Colleges. The ranking highlights universities that set the standard for environmental stewardship...

Okoli to UC Merced Students: ‘This is Your Place. This is Your Home’

University students deserve to feel welcome and safe in their home away from home. It’s a responsibility Daniel Okoli assumes without hesitation. He has designed countless physical spaces for...

Merced 2020 Project Buildings Earn LEED Certification

Eleven buildings in the Merced 2020 Project, UC Merced’s ambitious public-private partnership that nearly doubled the campus footprint, have been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental...

Solar panels atop campus buildings are just one factor in the campus's carbon neutrality.

Campus Reaches Carbon Neutrality Ahead of Schedule

After a lengthy and rigorous review by independent auditors, UC Merced can proudly announce it is the first public research university in the country to achieve carbon neutrality, two years ahead of...

UC Merced Named a Top “Green College” by Princeton Review

UC Merced has been named one of the best schools for environmental sustainability and quality of campus life, placing 20th on The Princeton Review’s list of top 50 “green colleges....

UC Merced will compete in a UC systemwide competition called the Cool Campus Challenge.

UC Merced Aims to Become the Coolest UC Campus

As the only institution in the country with all LEED certified buildings, being sustainable is ingrained in UC Merced’s DNA. Now, a new competition is challenging the university to strive for...

Sustainability Director Colleen McCormick and the UC Merced solar array

McCormick Leaves Sustaining Legacy at UC Merced

When Colleen McCormick joined UC Merced as its sustainability director in 2014, the university had lofty aspirations but no specific action plan to get from Point A to Point B. Today, the campus...

Students Take the Lead in LEED Certification of SE1 Building

As UC Merced continues to lead the way in sustainability on university campuses, a new wrinkle has been added to the process of certifying buildings. Recently, the Science and Engineering 1 (SE1)...

Campus to Tackle Food Waste with CalRecycle Grant

UC Merced is one of the first recipients of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery’s new Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant. As part of the state’s...

UC Merced reveals its new, comprehensive Sustainability Strategic Plan to further advance it goals, including reaching its Triple Zero Commitment.

Campus Launches New Framework for Sustainable Practices

UC Merced has a new Sustainability Strategic Plan to help the campus further advance its sustainability goals. In 2016, the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS), and the...