Sustainability is a common goal set by large institutions like universities, but the approaches to achieve it vary widely. In 2007, Weber State University and the other universities in Utah signed the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050.

“We’re not all pursuing the same thing in the same way, which helps us to have a more rounded approach to sustainability statewide,” said Lorenzo Long, sustainability coordinator for Ogden City.

According to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System’s, otherwise known as STARS, website, Weber State received a gold rating for their sustainability efforts along with the other top performing schools of Brigham Young University and the University of Utah.

One thing that sets Weber State apart from the other universities is its approach to funding sustainability projects.

“There’s this snowball effect where if you do the projects that have really good economic return, you can grow your savings and get some cash flow and then start supporting the things that are good to do and the right thing to do, but don’t necessarily have a financial return,” said Justin Owen, interim director of land operations at Weber State.

According to Owen, one of these projects that has a slower financial return on investment that was made possible through this snowball effect is the geothermal project at the Dee Events Center. This project involves creating ground loops that will circulate water below the earth’s surface and transfer it to a heating pump that will heat the Dee Events Center.

It’s these types of projects that are helping Weber State gain notoriety not just among other universities, but also local cities.

“That’s the model that we would really like to emulate at Ogden City is energy efficiency … while also being financially responsible,” Long said.

Weber State’s sustainability efforts have already started to pay off by moving up the date from 2050 to 2040 to reach carbon neutrality.

Long went on to say, “Weber State has done what many don’t do, and that is actually follow through,” and this is evidenced by the university being awarded the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Excellence & Innovation Award for Sustainability and Sustainable Development in 2023.

According to Transparent Utah, the University of Utah and Utah State University had the largest budgets in 2024 that were roughly four times and twice as much as Weber State’s budget. Despite this great difference in economic resources, Weber has managed to match these institutions’ sustainability ratings and save money in the process.

Despite being a commuter school, Weber State has proven they not only bleed purple, but also have a green thumb, when it comes to sustainability.