Radenka Maric, the president of the University of Connecticut (UConn), talks to Nature Sustainability about her institution’s transition towards a sustainable campus, highlighting the critical roles of governance structures, infrastructure projects, and educational initiatives fostering sustainability literacy.
How do you view the role of campus sustainability in the context of the global sustainability transition?
Higher education has an incredibly important role to play. With over 20,000 colleges and universities worldwide, we not only manage a large physical footprint but bear the responsibility of instilling environmental stewardship into millions of emerging professionals.
Research universities like UConn are uniquely positioned to pioneer innovative, practical solutions by treating the campus as a ‘living laboratory’, where operations, teaching and research are integrated. By embedding sustainability into how we run, learn and discover, UConn leads by example to accelerate innovation and empower the next generation of problem-solvers.
What helped UConn deliver sustainability goals?
As a land grant institution with agricultural roots, UConn has a long-standing commitment to ecological health and a harmonious relationship with nature. UConn’s formal sustainability governance began in 2003 with the Board of Trustees’ approval of our Environmental Policy and the establishment of an Office of Sustainability to ensure that goals remained actionable and deliverable. An Environmental Policy Advisory Council, composed of senior leaders, advises the President and monitors progress towards strategic milestones. We also utilize specific frameworks to drive results, such as the Sustainable Design and Construction Policy (2014), requiring Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard for new construction and major renovations exceeding US$5 million, and the Vendor Code of Conduct (2013), which outlines environmental and ethical standards for business partners to the university. Our University Senate was instrumental in establishing the Environmental Literacy general education requirement (2019), ensuring that sustainability is woven into the undergraduate experience.
Could you tell us about your flagship energy and infrastructure projects on campus? What concrete impact have they achieved?
At UConn, our flagship sustainability projects are driven by the sheer scale and diversity of our campus — from millions of square feet of research and residential facilities to over 2,100 acres of UConn Forest. We manage energy and infrastructure with a systems-level mindset, aiming for measurable outcomes. UConn has officially committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2040. These goals are anchored by aggressively investing in energy modernization, and high-performance building standards. All major new construction is required to meet LEED Gold or higher, reducing energy and water consumption while minimizing long-term operating costs. At the same time, we integrate green infrastructure with stormwater management across campus to protect ecosystems and strengthen climate resilience.
Two impact projects are worth attention. The first is South Campus Geothermal Plant. This project features 78 geothermal wells drilled approximately 750 feet deep. These wells act as a massive ‘thermal battery’, storing heat during warmer months to be deployed in the winter and providing sustainable heating and cooling for other buildings. The other is Cogen Turbine Hydrogen Integration. We are currently modifying our cogeneration turbine equipment to support blended hydrogen fuel. This modernization is anticipated to decrease current carbon emissions by 30%, representing a substantial leap in our transition away from traditional fossil fuels.
What were the major obstacles you encountered in greening the campus, and are there any initiatives that did not work as planned?
One of the biggest challenges in greening a campus of UConn’s size is the constraint of legacy infrastructure. Most of our buildings were designed and built decades ago, long before modern energy standards or climate realities. Retrofitting these systems while maintaining uninterrupted academic, research and residential operations requires meticulous planning, substantial investment and long-term vision. We have also learned that not every initiative delivers immediate or uniform results. Some early pilot programmes and behaviour change efforts did not scale as quickly or as effectively as anticipated, reinforcing the lesson that culture shifts take time and solutions must be adaptable to the different contexts across campus. Rather than setbacks, these experiences have been valuable catalysts. They have sharpened our focus on data-driven decision-making, systemic change, and investments that yield durable environmental and financial returns. Ultimately, sustainability is not a straight line, but a process of refining how we steward a complex institutional ecosystem.
Based on your experience, what are the most important lessons to share? What are your next priorities as sustainability expectations continue to rise?
The most important lesson we’ve learned is that sustainability is a journey, not a destination, and systemic changes often require years of persistent implementation. As a state institution, we must balance our fiscal responsibility with the financial implications of sustainability, including the long-term costs of inaction and environmental externalities. But most of all, a collective ‘all hands on deck’ approach is essential to advancing meaningful solutions. Success is only possible where there is clear leadership and buy-in at every level of the institution.
Our next priority is decarbonizing campus operations and spearheading clean energy research. We are currently developing new Key Performance Indicators for impact areas that align with our strategic plan and global academic frameworks. We are maximizing experiential learning opportunities to equip our graduates with skills to lead climate adaptation and solve sustainability challenges in their future careers. By engaging the entire UConn community in this process, we ensure our ambitious sustainability roadmap is as effective and inclusive as possible.