Green Office Certification

Although each office is different, the Green Office Certification has many simple, universal and effective ways for OSU faculty and staff to further their sustainability efforts and get recognition for their work. It is also intended to provide new ideas for easy steps your office can take to reduce your environmental footprint and carbon emissions. It is available for all OSU units to use.

Defining the boundaries of your "office" (your certification scope) is important and we can work with you to determine what spaces make sense to include.  Typically, whole academic colleges or administrative divisions are too large for certification, while units of 3-5 people are often too small. Certification questions require some engagement of unit personnel. In some cases, smaller offices (5-30 people) may be good places to start, and can encourage others within a larger unit, like a school or department, to become certified.

Categories

  • Energy
  • Outreach & Engagement
  • Purchasing
  • Transportation
  • Waste Management
  • Water

Recognition Levels

  • Platinum (Pt): 80+%
  • Gold (Au): 70-79%
  • Silver (Ag): 60-69%
  • Copper (Cu): 50-59%

Green Office Resources & Tips

The Resources and Tips page supports - and is linked from - the survey itself and contains information and definitions used in the Certification.

The page includes FAQs, resources relating to the six categories, and other outside sources to provide everything you need to reduce your office footprint and fill out the survey!

To get started please contact us for your survey link!

We'll have a unique link for you, typically within 48 hours.

If you want a preview, or to get started early, view a Word document of the survey questions here

If you have any questions, please e-mail us!

Certified Offices

Unit Certification Date Score
OSU-Cascades Office of Student Life June 8, 2021 86%

 

Unit Certification Date Score
Oregon Sea Grant at HMSC June 23, 2022 75%
The Valley Library May 11, 2020 77%
Oregon Climate Change Research Institute July 14, 2020 71%
Pacific Marine Energy Center July 14, 2020 71%
PacWave July 14, 2020 71%
Oak Creek Bee Farm June 5, 2017 70%

 

Unit Certification Date Score
School of Psychological Science December 13, 2016 67%
Applied Economics Department March 1, 2021 66%
University Events December 1, 2020 62%
The Honors College September 26, 2019 60%

Certification History

The Green Office Certification was created in 2016 as the first program of its type at OSU. It was created through a partnership between the Sustainability OfficeCampus Recycling and Transportation Services

If you are interested in carbon emissions reduction planning or sustainability strategic planning, please see our Unit Level Carbon Planning page.

For questions or comments about the Green Office Certification, please contact the Sustainability Office.