The CU system office and CU Boulder have won a $220,000 award after participating in the inaugural Scalable Tech Track Adopters cohort, an initiative of Wells Fargo’s Innovation Incubator in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). 

CU Boulder will use the award to retrofit the windows of the Environmental Design (ENVD) building using INOVUES’ innovative energy-saving window technology. The upgrade is projected to reduce ENVD’s energy use by at least 15%, generating a cost savings of $46,900 per year.

Over the course of the five-month program, CU system Assistant Vice President for Budget, Planning and Capital Kori Donaldson and CU Boulder Vice Chancellor for Infrastructure and Resilience Chris Ewing worked closely with experts at NREL to explore the challenges and solutions for implementing scalable clean energy technologies. They embarked on a listening tour with a dozen individuals from within CU to gather data and input before delivering a final presentation. Seven judges from various industries made the final decisions about which projects would move forward.

CU Boulder will integrate INOVUES’ advanced retrofit window solution into the ENVD building—a move that promises to reduce energy consumption and contribute to the university's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The INOVUES product, a dynamic, cost-effective window retrofit system, will enhance the building’s energy efficiency by reducing heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

“We’re proud to be leading the way in implementing real-world solutions that directly impact our campus and the broader community,” President Todd Saliman said. “This project highlights CU’s continued dedication to sustainability, and we’re excited by its potential for use in other CU buildings and a cleaner, more sustainable future.”

With INOVUES’ patented retrofit technology, CU Boulder will be able to upgrade its existing windows without the need for full replacements in a building constructed in 1947—minimizing waste and disruption while still achieving substantial improvements in energy performance. The result will be a more comfortable, efficient learning environment for students and faculty.

“Our goal is to lead by example and ensure that CU Boulder remains at the forefront of sustainability and energy efficiency,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “This is the kind of innovative, scalable solution that can help us accelerate our clean energy transition and make a real impact on campus decarbonization by reducing how much energy we use to begin with. It’s also a great example of how we can work with NREL and other partners to make great strides on the sustainability goals we share.”

CU Boulder was the only university represented in the cohort. Four other award recipients will do projects such as retrofitting HVAC systems, improving air quality and optimizing data center cooling.

“Alongside the new relationships formed with NREL, the program itself is an award,” said Sarah Derdowski, Innovation Incubator program manager at NREL. “We’re already seeing renewed efforts to change the culture at all of these organizations.”

Following the installation of the retrofit windows, CU’s facilities teams will monitor the energy efficiency of the building through thermal imaging and energy-use data to determine whether this could be a viable long-term solution for other buildings on campus.

“This is an exciting opportunity for CU Boulder to further its commitment to sustainability, and we are thrilled to have been part of this cohort,” said Ewing. “By leveraging the INOVUES retrofit windows, we will be able to make an immediate small stride toward our carbon neutrality goals, while also demonstrating the viability of scalable clean energy technologies that can be adopted across other institutions and buildings. As a proud ENVD alumnus who spent so many hours in that building, it is exciting to work on a project that will not only reduce our energy usage but also increase user comfort for our students, faculty, staff and visitors.”

ENVD window retrofitting is expected to begin over the summer and will be complete before fall 2025.

“This partnership is just the beginning of many more sustainable projects at the University of Colorado that we hope can benefit all four campuses,” said Donaldson. “Through collaboration and innovation, we are working to achieve our long-term carbon neutrality goals while making a tangible difference in the fight against climate change.”

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The Sustainability Leadership Team (SLT) held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The group had a discussion about ongoing sustainability projects and critical initiatives and strategies to enhance the university's sustainability efforts. 

More specifically, the team identified projects that are on track to be implemented within the next three months and prioritized them based on feasibility and impact. Examples of projects include completing the building efficiency project, reviewing the STARS findings and increasing campus involvement in sustainability. 

Next steps

• The SLT will discuss opportunities for collaboration and ongoing support of these priority items.
• The SLT will also assist with the onboarding of the new vice chancellor for sustainability, Andrew Mayock.

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CU Boulder has demonstrated its continued commitment to sustainability by earning a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) Gold rating for 2025. This recognition from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) marks the university’s fifth STARS Gold certification since becoming the first university to achieve the honor in 2009, and it keeps CU Boulder on track to reach its stated goal of achieving STARS Platinum during the next three-year reporting cycle.

"Achieving STARS Gold for the fifth time is a testament to CU Boulder's unwavering commitment to sustainability, and it also sheds light on the areas in which we must continue to make progress to achieve our goals,” Chancellor Justin Schwartz said. “We are dedicated to achieving carbon neutrality as a campus, discovering innovative solutions to some of humanity’s most pressing climate threats, and equipping our students to be leaders in creating positive impact around the world.” 

STARS is a comprehensive framework that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.  showcases the university's achievements across five key areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership. With more than 1,200 participants in 52 countries, AASHE's STARS program is the most widely recognized framework for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university's sustainability performance.

This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy as CU Boulder is one of the first campuses to file under the , released in the summer of 2024 after an extensive five-year development process by AASHE. Version 3.0 includes more robust indicators of racial equity and social justice, streamlined performance-based credits and increased global accessibility.

CU Boulder has set a goal of achieving a STARS Platinum rating by its next submission in 2028. The university plans to use the data and performance metrics from the current report to inform its campus strategy. A gap assessment report will be delivered at the Campus Sustainability Summit in April.

“Our community's involvement and student participation in sustainability initiatives are crucial as we strive for continuous improvement and work toward a sustainable future,” Schwartz said. “We strive to be a global leader in sustainability, and it will take the efforts of all of us to realize our aspirations."

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Looking to be more sustainable this year? Join the Sustainable Buffs Community to get tips and connect with like-minded students. Here are some ways to get started and opportunities to get involved.

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The annual Leeds Sustainability Case Competition brought together 39 teams from top business schools to develop solutions for sustainability challenges in the age of artificial intelligence.

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Margaret Berg highlights the importance of human sustainability—the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating both human and environmental sustainability into music education, the College of Music is preparing students to make an impact on our interconnected society.

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Chancellor Justin Schwartz has appointed Andrew Mayock vice chancellor for sustainability, effective March 10 following an international search. 

The newly created position will be charged with establishing a university-wide sustainability leadership role, forming partnerships with faculty, positioning CU Boulder as a national and global sustainability leader, directly assisting local communities to make Colorado the most sustainable state in the U.S. and funding priority sustainability initiatives through internal and external sources.   

Mayock is the former chief sustainability officer for the United States government, where he led the Biden administration’s efforts on sustainability initiatives. Mayock has a proven track record and a strong reputation for driving solutions to the global challenges of climate change.

“I'm thrilled to have someone of Andrew Mayock’s caliber joining our campus,” said Schwartz. “In addition to a wealth of knowledge on sustainable policies and practices, he brings an understanding of how to build coalitions and lead effectively across large, complex organizations.”

During his tenure at the White House, Mayock focused on powering the government’s vehicles and buildings with clean energy, increasing supply chain decarbonization and resilience through the purchase of low-embodied carbon materials and increasing climate impact through domestic and international partnerships.

He will begin his duties a few weeks before the 32nd annual Campus Sustainability Summit, and in June CU Boulder will co-host the next Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit with UN Human Rights and the University of Oxford.

“I am honored to join the University of Colorado Boulder, where this new role reflects the university’s steadfast commitment to creating a sustainable future for our students, faculty, staff and community,” Mayock said. “As we continue to navigate the pressing challenges of climate change and environmental stewardship, I am excited to collaborate with this talented community to foster innovative solutions, inspire bold action and continue to lead the way in sustainability practices—locally and globally.”

Mayock will bring his significant experience in the government and private industry to elevate CU Boulder’s national and global sustainability profile.

CU Boulder is home to numerous research institutes and offers over 250 sustainability-related courses, while its operational units consistently push forward its ambitious climate goals: 

• CU Boulder named No. 1 for plant-based dining and sustainability
• 2 grants to conduct feasibility studies on geothermal energy
• CU Boulder part of $160M NSF-funded effort to promote climate resilience
• The construction of an East Campus solar array, breaking ground in April
• Discovery could lead to longer-lasting EV batteries, hasten energy transition
• Energy efficiency projects to upgrade 18 campus buildings

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Biking to campus is a great way to stay active and eco-friendly, even in the winter. With Bike to Work Day coming up on Feb. 14, here are some tips for biking this season.

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CU Boulder is the No. 1 post-secondary institution for plant-based dining and sustainability according to  the Humane Society of the United States’ 2025 College and University Protein Sustainability . CU Boulder stands out as the only university with more than 50% plant-based  offerings, with a bold commitment to ramping up to 75% this year.

“We’re honored to be recognized for our efforts to provide CU Boulder students more climate-friendly, plant-based menu items,” said Eliah Golden, chef and associate director for residential dining and culinary operations. “We’re committed to offering students delicious, nutritious and sustainable food options to help fuel their academic success and create lifelong habits that contribute to healthy bodies and healthy minds.”

The Humane Society’s first biannual scorecard analyzed climate-friendly, plant-based menu items offered by the nation’s largest colleges and universities. The Humane Society focused on schools with the largest undergraduate populations and self-operated dining programs and sent surveys to 39 schools in June 2024, with 26 completing the survey.  

“A shift toward plant-based foods is the most impactful way food service providers can reduce their impact on the planet and reach their sustainability goals. Higher education institutions are positioned to have a tremendous positive influence,” said Kate Watts, director of Food Service Innovation at the Humane Society. 

CU Boulder Dining Services’ 318 full-time team members and 600 students serve 3.5 million meals annually across its catering, retail and residential services. The university’s dining services takes a comprehensive approach to sustainability from waste redirection, community gardens, local sourcing and tracking greenhouse gas emissions.

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CU Boulder’s Engineering Management Program, in collaboration with Siemens Digital Industries Software, is proud to announce the launch of its new graduate certificate in Design for the Circular Economy. Offered through the Coursera platform, this innovative program is designed to equip students and working professionals with the skills needed to thrive in, or enter into, the rapidly growing field of sustainability and the circular economy.

The circular economy is transforming industries around the globe, focusing on redesigning products to be more resource-efficient and compatible with repurposing and recycling into new products at the end of their lifecycle. As businesses, governments, and nonprofit organizations increasingly prioritize sustainability, demand for professionals with expertise in circular economy practices is surging. 

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (in collaboration with McKinsey & Company) estimated that transitioning to a circular economy could generate around 700,000 jobs in the European Union alone by 2030, across sectors such as recycling, remanufacturing, and product life extension. The CU Boulder and Siemens collaboration aims to meet this need through cutting-edge, online education that prepares graduates to drive positive change within their organizations and beyond.

The Design for the Circular Economy graduate certificate is a 9-credit hour, 100% online program. The program offers four specializations consisting of 12 1-credit hour courses. Eight courses will be offered by mid-January, with the remaining courses to launch by summer 2025. �鶹��Ժ are required to complete any two 3-credit hour specializations (totaling 6 credit hours), and 3 additional courses (totaling 3 credit hours), which could include another specialization or any three topical electives from the Design for the Circular Economy Certificate electives.

The future of business is circular

Program participants will gain an in-depth understanding of cradle-to-cradle design methodologies, sustainable operations and supply chain management, and the leadership skills necessary to implement these practices at scale. �鶹��Ժ will learn to design sustainable products, assess environmental and social impacts, and manage operations in alignment with circular economy principles.

100% online—flexible for professionals

The certificate is delivered 100% online from the Coursera platform, providing students with flexibility to balance their studies with professional and personal commitments. The program’s reach is global, offering students and professionals worldwide the opportunity to enhance their expertise and contribute to the growing demand for circular economy specialists.

Skills acquired

Upon completing the certificate, students will gain both foundational technical knowledge and practical professional skills. Graduates will be equipped with:

• Technical knowledge and skills: Understand and apply concepts of the circular economy to areas of product design and development, social and environmental impact analysis, industrial ecology, zero waste and systems thinking.
• Business knowledge and skills: Develop innovative new business models, create and manage projects incorporating sustainable finance and reporting, marketing and brand management, as well as sustainable and resilient operations and supply chains.
• Leadership knowledge and skills: Build confidence in communicating to internal and external stakeholders and develop the skills to navigate uncertainty and implement transformational change in their organizations.

Learners who complete a course, a specialization, or this certificate are eligible to earn digital badges from Siemens.

About the CU Boulder Engineering Management Program

The CU Boulder Engineering Management Program provides professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to bridge the gap between engineering and management. Through innovative, flexible, and interdisciplinary programs, CU Boulder prepares students to become leaders in technology-driven industries. The program is committed to advancing sustainability through education and research, making the transition to a circular economy an essential part of its mission.

For more information about the graduate certificate in Design for the Circular Economy and how to enroll, please on Coursera. on Jan. 2, 2025.

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