Green Workspace Challenge

The Green Workspace Challenge is a self-reporting framework for faculty and staff to make their workplaces more sustainable while gaining recognition for their progress.

The self-assessment tool guides faculty and staff through a wide range of sustainable practices relating to waste, energy, procurement, transportation, meetings, kitchens and campus engagement. A workspace may also pursue innovations points to earn recognition for practices that are not listed in the self-assessment tool. The Challenge is designed to engage the full spectrum of offices on campus. By defining your workspace, the Challenge allows you to account for the spaces and include the people that make sense for your office.

Weaving sustainability into your operations and modeling best practices not only reduces our impact. Together we are building an atmosphere that tells students that sustainability is highly valued at UAlbany.

How to Participate

1) Contact the Office of Sustainability to express your interest by filling out the Green Workspace Interest Form. 

2) Define your workspace. You are able to define your own workspace that makes sense for your office.  For example, if you share communal areas and resources with a department near you, invite that department to join you. When reporting for your workspace, please include part-time and full-time staff, as well as students and interns.  Additionally, when you are filling out the self-assessment, remember to include spaces that your office uses, including storage areas, kitchens, and other shared spaces.

3) Members from the Office of Sustainability will contact you and provide you with a link to the full self-assessment tool and a PDF containing all the questions you will be asked on the self-assessment form. Please email [email protected] if you need assistance

4) Be recognized by the Office of Sustainability. Green Workspace participants may earn points in order to receive a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Green Rating that is valid for two years.

Benefits

• Certificate to display in workplace

• An electronic logo to display on your workplace’s website

• Recognition on the Office of Sustainability’s website

• Ongoing support provided by the Office of Sustainability to earn, maintain, and improve certification

Click here to see the workspaces that have earned certification!