As UC Riverside grows, the campus is improving energy efficiency while reducing waste, according to its 2025 Sustainability Annual Report.

The report, released in January, outlines how UCR is making progress in reducing its carbon footprint. It notes several efforts underway including a Campus Decarbonization Study completed in November 2024 and the launch of a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan last year.

UCR’s total greenhouse gas emissions increased by about 3% in 2024, according to the report. The increase is attributed to higher temperatures and new construction.

But as it grows, UCR has increased the number of buildings with LEED Platinum certification, signifying they meet the building industry’s highest energy-efficiency standards. The new School of Business building includes a 216-kilowatt rooftop solar array, adding to the campus’s solar photovoltaic capacity by over 9 megawatts.

The report notes progress in the area of food and waste. In 2024–2025, UCR generated 0.60 pounds of waste per person per day, an improvement from 0.62 in 2023–24 and below the 2025 policy goal of 0.81.

Food recovery efforts have increased by 32% with Dining Services’ launch of its Scotty Eats program, which provides free surplus meals to students. Students also have more sustainable and healthy food and beverage options on campus. 

The campus is continuing to phase out single-use plastic, eliminating plastic bags and reducing its use in food ware and beverage bottles at dining locations.

In the area of transportation, the campus is investing in more sustainable vehicles with 90% of those bought in 2025 electric zero-emission, plug-in hybrid, or clean fuel.

“We are making tremendous progress in advancing sustainability across campus, even as our student population and overall campus building square footage continue to grow,” said Francis Mitalo, sustainability program specialist with the Office of Sustainability. 

Read the full report