| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.67 |
| Liaison | Aurora Sharrard |
| Submission Date | Feb. 13, 2024 |
University of Pittsburgh
IN-18: Green Event Certification
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Samantha
Chan Assistant Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have or participate in a green event certification program?:
Has the institution held one or more certified events in the previous year?:
Does the institution’s green event certification program address the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| Sustainable transportation options, teleconferencing options, and/or carbon offsets | Yes |
| Sustainable catering (e.g., sourcing local and third party certified food and beverages, providing vegetarian/vegan options, using reusable/compostable materials) | Yes |
| Paper consumption (e.g., minimization and recycled/FSC certified content) | Yes |
| Energy efficiency (e.g., equipment and lighting) | Yes |
| Waste minimization and diversion | Yes |
| Communications and/or signage about the sustainable practices | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s green event certification program:
The University of Pittsburgh’s “Pitt Green Event” program was started in 2016 by the Student Office of Sustainability (SOOS), who continues to lead its deployment for campus-wide events. In 2021, the University moved away from certifying hundreds of individual events evolving the Pitt Green Event designation into a “Pitt Green Host” program to certify event organizers. This strategy allows more green events to be deployed across campus.
Individuals interested in greening their events at Pitt complete an online training module to learn how to embed sustainability and accessibility into their events. Individuals then take the final assessment and are added to Pitt’s “Green Host” Teams channel, where they have access to sustainability tips, food recovery options, and can request resources for specific events (i.e., “Water Monster” for outdoor events to eliminate the need for single-use water bottles).
Pitt’s Green Host designation encourages event organizers to utilize sustainable principles in event planning, including mindful purchasing and waste minimization by deploying event strategies that include reusable items, recycling, and/or composting. The SOOS and Pitt Sustainability teams also provide guidance and resources to Pitt Green event hosts on how to work with both on- and off-campus caterers to request local and plant-based foods.
Other aspects of the Pitt Green Host designation emphasize accessibility of event locations; digital marketing; the use of recycled, reclaimed, or carbon neutral paper; alternative transportation for event guests; sustainable swag options; and more.
Pitt currently has 118 Pitt Green Hosts who hold Pitt Green events on- and off-campus and throughout the year. In the first year of the Pitt Green Host program, 65 people became Pitt Green Hosts. In 2023, an additional 53 new hosts were certified.
Though likely a massive undercount of total Pitt Green events, in 2022, Pitt Green Hosts reported 27 events reaching 3,383 attendees; in 2023 they reported 23 events reaching 4,270 attendees.
Learn more about Pitt’s Green Host program: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/get-involved/pitt-green-host-events/
Still in this AASHE STARS reporting period, the previous former “Pitt Green Events” program’s impact is summarized below:
• 2021 – 16 Pitt Green Events, reaching 2,885 attendees (pandemic-influenced)
• 2020 – 37 Pitt Green Events, reaching 4,890 attendees (pandemic-influenced)
• 2019 – 112 Pitt Green Events, reaching 26,574 attendees
• 2018 – 20 Green Events, reaching 5,209 attendees
Website URL where information about the green event certification program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.