Sustainability Program

UCSF has a robust sustainability program covering sustainability activities across the entire campus and medical center.  Formal and grassroot efforts are happening in many areas of the organization.  Find out more about these efforts at the Sustainability Dashboard above.

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UCSF Sustainability Stories

Hospitals Go Green on Cleaning Supplies UCSF is featured in “Hospitals Go Green on Cleaning Supplies” in the San Francisco Chronicle. Also…read more

SunShares:  A Discount Program Helps you get Solar Panels for Your Home! NEW! Informational webinar Been thinking about installing solar on your home, but don’t know where to start or…read more

Nissan’s Electric Vehicle Discount for UCSF employees NIssan is offering a special discount for UCSF employees through June.  This is a fantastic deal with a $1000…read more

UCSF Medical Center Wins Pratice Greenhealth Partner for Change with Distinction Award UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children’s Hospital received a 2013 Partner for Change with Distinction Award from…read more

Five Reasons to Attend the LivingGreen Fair on May 9th Empowered to LiveGreen Thursday, May 9, 2013 11:00 am-2:00 pm Millberry Union Game Room 500 Parnassus Avenue The…read more

Recycled/Reclaimed Art Show at the LivingGreen Fair The Visual Arts Club at UCSF and Campus Life Services Arts & Events have presented the Faculty and Staff Art…read more

Book Drive Book Drives are being held at all three UCSF libraries:  Kalmanovitz(Parnassus), SFGH, and Mission Bay(Rutter…read more

Two San Francisco Resources for Saving Energy and $ Did you know that the typical flume hood used in a lab consumes as much energy as three houses on a yearly basis?…read more

UCSF Medical Center Publishes First Sustainability Report The UCSF Medical Center recently published their first sustainability report.  Balancing saving lives and…read more

Save the Date—Saving Antibiotics: A Clinical Perspective on Antibiotic Overuse in Agriculture Save the date for two upcoming webinars co-sponsored by Health Care Without Harm and the Pew Charitable Trusts…read more

UCSF’s Sukhjeet Sandhu Saves Loads of Energy On Feb. 19th PG&E awarded $846,000 to UCSF, the latest energy efficiency incentives that have become a regular…read more

SAVE THE DATE May 2nd: UCSF’s Sustainability Awards and LivingGreen Office/Lab Certifications Here are four ways to join the fun and support UCSF’s sustainability efforts:  *Nominate a co-worker…read more

UCSF Mission Bay:  New Chef Showcases Diversity, Sustainability on Menu The UCSF Mission Bay campus has welcomed a new chef to shape the daily menus at the Pub and the Mission Bay Conference…read more

Call For Nominations - Sustainability Awards The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS) is pleased to announce the third annual Sustainability…read more

UC’s 2012 Annual Report on Sustainable Practices Highlights UCSF The University of California (UC) 2012 Annual Report on Sustainable Practices was released in January, providing…read more

LivingGreen Events:  Certify Your Next Meeting or Event UCSF has kicked off a new certification program:  LivingGreen Event (LGE) Certification. With just a little…read more

LivingGreen Team Participates in LivingWell Expo Over the years, I have participated in countless outreach events across UCSF diverse campuses as a member of the…read more

USEPA Administrator Lisa Jackson honors Dr. Jeanne Conry at UCSF Grand Rounds UCSF’s Toxic Reduction Work Group was formed in FY11-12 as part of the Sustainability Action Plan to address…read more

Top Ten LivingGreen Resolutions for 2013 Happy New Year!  While you are contemplating your resolutions for the year, here are a few easy suggestions…read more

Be a Vampire Slayer Yes, we realize it is not Halloween.  But as 2013 kicks off, one easy way to LiveGreen is to be a vampire…read more

Survey Says:  70 Percent of Americans Believe in the Reality of Global Warming A new survey shows that 70 percent of Americans believe in the reality of global warming.  George Mason University’s…read more

Five Tips for a Greener Holiday Party Tis the season.  Office parties and gatherings can create a wake of waste.  Check out some easy tips…read more

ABCs of Electronic Waste It is that time of year.  Perhaps you will get a new personal computer as a gift or it is time to upgrade…read more

JACS:  An Easy Way to Green Your Computer Purchase UCSF has made it even easier to green your computer purchases with a new program called JACS or Joint Administrative…read more

Spotlight on UCSF Sustainability Award Winner:  Lisa Hartmayer Lisa Hartmayer, RN, from the UCSF Orthopedic Institute was recently awarded the UCSF 2012 Sustainability Award. …read more

Download BigFix!  An Easy Way to Manage Your Computer Power Use For a Quick and Easy Download Click HERE if you are working on a MAC. Click HERE if you are working on Windows.…read more

A Conversation with Dr. Niraj Sehgal Gail Lee, UCSF Sustainability Manager and I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Dr. Niraj Sehgal, MD,…read more

You Are What You Eat:  UCSF Medical Center Moves the Needle on Sustainable Food The adage you are what you eat, seems even more important when you are eating at a hospital cafe or sick in the…read more

Oct. 24th is Campus Sustainability Day:  Preparing Students for a Changing Climate 10th Annual Campus Sustainability Day | Wednesday October 24th, 2012 Join UCSF in celebrating the 10th Anniversary…read more

UC Eats Real:  Take the National Food Day Pledge Take the Pledge Join the nationwide campaign for delicious, healthy, and affordable food produced in a sustainable,…read more

Greening Up the Labs at UCSF While the Olympics might be over, here at UCSF, UCSF labs and offices still have a chance to achieve bronze, silver…read more

Spotlight on UCSF Sustainability Award Winner:  Eddie Book The Eddie Book residents from the Pediatrics Department, led by Catherine Ratti, UCSF Pediatric Residency Program…read more

San Francisco General Hospital:  Four Lessons Learned from Colorectal Cancer Screenings What do you think of when you hear save resources, reduce waste and be more efficient?  While you might think…read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions:  OR Reprocessing Team The UCSF Reprocessing Team was recently awarded the UCSF 2012 Sustainability Award. The Reprocessing Team identified…read more

Spotlight on UCSF Sustainability Award Winner:  Sandrijn van Schaik, MD Sandrijn van Schaik, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatrics was recently awarded the UCSF 2012 Sustainability…read more

Telecommuting at UCSF:  One Strategy for LivingGreen Did you know UCSF encourages telecommuting from home offices to create a supportive work environment?  According…read more

Spotlight on UCSF Sustainability Award Winner:  Kristen Fitzhenry Kristen Fitzhenry from the School of Medicine Dean’s Office, was a 2012 Sustainability Award Winner in the staff…read more

Kudos to UCSF’s 2012 Sustainability Award Winners and LivingGreen Certified Offices UCSF’s Senior Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration John Plotts and David Odato, Vice Chancellor Human…read more

Save the Date!  June 18th-22nd California Higher Education Sustainability Conference Save the Date! June 18th–22nd, 2012 University of California, Davis Registration is now open for the Eleventh…read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions:  Stephen Szeto, Past UCSF Sustainability Analyst Intern Stephen Szeto, a past UCSF sustainability analyst intern, has been recognized by the San Francisco State Department…read more

Tell us what you think!  Take UCSF’s Commute Survey Dear UCSF Colleagues:   As a member of our UCSF community, we hope that you will take this short five-minute…read more

UCSF wins National Health Organization Award for Supporting Environmental Practices On May 2, 2012 UCSFMC received the Practice GreenHealth Partner for Change Award with Distinction.  This premier…read more

University of California System Receives Prestigious Climate Leadership Award Second Nature and the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have announced…read more

May 10th:  LivingGreen Fair, Sustainability Awards Ceremony & Bike to Work Day On May 10th, there will be multiple opportunities to join the UCSF community in LivingGreen.  If you can,…read more

UCSF Facilities Management Tackles Water Conservation on Many Levels UCSF Facilities Management has been focusing its conservation efforts on energy and recycling, but is now turning…read more

HSE5 Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration Awarded LEED Gold The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded UCSF’s HSE5 Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration LEED-CI…read more

Opinion Piece: UCSF Departments Can and Should be Working Together to Further Sustainability Goals There are some very obvious money saving advantages to UCSF team work: no tax on internal transfers, operational…read more

LivingGreen at UCSF Video We are proud to release our sustainability video, LivingGreen at UCSF, highlighting UCSF’s commitment to…read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions:  Kristen Fitzhenry This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability. …read more

Greening the OR at UCSF Healthcare centers are the second largest contributors to garbage in the United States, creating an average of…read more

Recology hosts their Annual Art & Wine Tasting Event Recology, our solid waste hauler, is hosting an Art and Wine Tasting event onThursday, February 16th at 111 Minna…read more

Print Management Program Note:  Reprinted from the Green Campus Program. One area of improvement we come across at almost all of our…read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions:  Gerti Partsch-Miller This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability. …read more

Recycle Yourself! Organ, tissue, bone marrow or blood donations are the ultimate sustainability act. As part of UCSF’s mission…read more

Ten 2012 LivingGreen Resolutions Happy New Year!  As you reflect on your resolutions for 2012, consider making a LivingGreen 2012 resolution. …read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions:  Carly Clemence This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability. …read more

LivingGreen Office Assessment at the School of Medicine Dean’s Office At the end of September, the Dean’s Office at The School of Medicine became one of the first workspaces to participate…read more

Just Released!  UCSF’s Sustainability Action Plan An Introduction to the Sustainability Action Plan The Sustainability Action Plan at the University of California…read more

EV Charging Stations Are Here! Finding an EV Charging Station just got easier! UCSF Transportation Services would like to take this opportunity…read more

Consolidated Delivery Reduces Emissions UCSF Campus Strategic Sourcing, UCSF Medical Center Strategic Sourcing, and UCSF Campus Life Services are pleased…read more

Don’t Forget That Your Monitor Needs Its Sleep Too There are many simple steps you can take that make a direct impact on energy use at UCSF. One of the simplest steps…read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions:  Dr. Susan Ryan This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability. …read more

LivingGreen in Action:  The Aldea Center on Mount Sutro UCSF has made a commitment to construct all new buildings to the equivalent of LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and…read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions:  Bruce Adams This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability. …read more

Take Action:  National Food Day October 24th October 24 is National Food Day!  Food Day is about eating more food that comes from farms and less food that…read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions: Aria Yow This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability. …read more

Spotlight on UCSF LivingGreen Champions:  Andrew Bird This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability. …read more

Meatless Mondays at Moffitt Café The Moffitt Café is kicking off Meatless Mondays for lunch starting on September 19th. Through the end of the…read more

UCSF Mission Bay Solar Energy Project—Generating over 60 percent of the 3rd Street Garage’s Energy Many of the strategies to reduce energy use at UCSF happen behind the scenes, invisible to staff and visitors.…read more

Byron Lee, Champion of Reprocessing in the Electrophysiology Lab When it comes to sustainability, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is the mantra.  But when it comes to…read more

UCSF’s Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building Receives LEED Gold Certification The U.S. Green Building Council awarded UCSF’s new Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building LEED-NC…read more

Spotlight on Sustainability:  UCSF Team Sustainability Award Winner:  Food and Nutrtion Services Under the leadership of Jack Henderson, associate director of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) at the medical…read more

Spotlight on Sustainability:  UCSF Staff Sustainability Award Winner: Steve Dalton Over two years ago, Steve Dalton, an accounts payable staff person in Ob., Gyn. & R.S., approached his supervisor…read more

Spotlight on Sustainability:  UCSF Faculty Sustainability Award Winner:  Dr. Tom Newman Dr. Tom Newman was awarded the Sustainability Award in the faculty category at the recent LivingGreen Fair. …read more

Spotlight on Sustainability:  UCSF Green Champion Maric Munn Whether as a professional or as an individual, Maric Munn, Director of Facilities Management, is exemplary in her…read more

Four UCSF Green Champions Receive Annual Sustainability Award May was a busy month for UCSF on the sustainability front.  We had 779 attendees attend eight events in May. …read more

Spotlight on Sustainability:  Best Practices from UCSF Green Champion Adele Dow Adele Dow, facility manager at the Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Building and Mount Zion Cancer Research…read more

Spring:  The Perfect Time to Start a Green Team.  And Take One Simple Action! Spring is the perfect time of year to walk the green talk and put your green values into action at work. …read more

Spotlight on Sustainability:  Dr. Daphne Miller Promotes the Park Prescription UCSF’s sustainability program is always looking for examples of faculty and staff working to make the connections…read more

Spotlight on Sustainability:  Tracey Woodruff—New Study Finds Toxins in Pregnant Women The UCSF School of Medicine’s program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, housed within the Department…read more

UCSF Laboratories go for the Gold UCSF’s commitment to sustainability extends to minimizing the environmental impact of its laboratories, which…read more

UC Sustainability Wins Award The UC Communications team has won three District VII awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education…read more

Conservation is Contagious:  New UCSF Campaign Cuts Energy and Saves $800,000 You might not realize that behind the scenes, UCSF is working hard to cut its energy use with such tactics as lighting…read more

UCSF: Taking on the Challenge of Reducing its Carbon Footprint From kidney transplants to diabetes research and fetal surgery, UCSF has a reputation for rising to challenges. …read more

Kick the Bottled Water Habit—Check Out UCSF’s New Reusable Water Bottle Refilling Stations UCSF’s New Water Bottle Refilling Stations Do something good for the environment and your pocketbook—next…read more

UCSF’s Recycling Coordinators:  Promoting Best Practices in Recycling and Waste Management UC Regents’ Policy on Sustainable Practices sets a visionary goal of achieving zero waste by the year 2020, with…read more

UCSF Medical Center: Integrating Sustainable Food Practices In September 2009, the University of California added sustainable food service guidelines to its Policy on Sustainable…read more

Sustainability at UCSF:  Building Momentum Toward Sustainable Practices Infusing sustainability into UCSF and adopting sustainable practices make perfect sense. It is not only good business,…read more

Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann: Finding a Green Way to Start Her Day UCSF students and employees have a unique leader— someone they might catch a glimpse of while commuting to work…read more

The New UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay: Leading UC in Sustainability in a Hospital Setting UCSF’s new medical center at Mission Bay is taking the lead on green building. “UCSF’s new medical complex…read more

UCSF Medical Center Receives Recognition for Sustainable Practices UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children’s Hospital received a Partner for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth…read more