UC Davis Named Greenest University in North America
UC Davis ranked seventh worldwide in the 2026 UI GreenMetric rankings, its 11th straight year as North America's top sustainable campus.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Environmental
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The University of Indonesia's 2026 UI GreenMetric World University rankings, announced Sept. 24, 2026, placed UC Davis seventh in the world and named it the most sustainable university in North America for an 11th consecutive year. The campus has also ranked among the world's top 10 for 14 straight years.
Why it matters
For Davis, the recognition reflects a campus sustainability push that extends beyond rankings into infrastructure, with the Big Shift project aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions and utility costs. The rankings weigh energy and climate change at 20%, and the more than 2,000 universities that took part make the placement a notable benchmark for the local campus community.
The 2026 UI GreenMetric rankings drew more than 2,000 universities, and UC Davis placed seventh worldwide. The energy and climate change category carries 20% of the total score, and the final Big Shift outcomes remain projections.
The players
UI GreenMetric World University Rankings
An annual global ranking of university sustainability organized by the University of Indonesia, which has tracked campus environmental performance since 2010.
University of Indonesia
A public research university in Depok, Indonesia, that organizes the UI GreenMetric rankings.
UC Regents
The governing board of the University of California system, which approved the final funding for Phase 2 of the Big Shift project.
The details
The Big Shift project will switch the Davis campus central heating source from steam to hot water, a system that can be powered by renewable energy. A 2.25-million-gallon thermal energy storage tank will let the university store heat when electricity is cheaper or cleaner, and the UC Regents approved the final funding component of Phase 2 this year.
Timeline
Sept. 24, 2026: University of Indonesia announces the UI GreenMetric 2026 rankings.
Earlier in 2026: The Davis Division of the Academic Senate approves a climate change literacy general education requirement.
This year (2026): UC Regents approve final funding for Big Shift Phase 2.
2030: The climate change literacy general education requirement takes effect.
Big Picture
UC Davis's seventh-place result continues a streak under the UI GreenMetric methodology, which weights energy and climate change at 20% of the total score. The Big Shift project's shift to hot-water heating and thermal storage is the kind of infrastructure change that category is designed to reward.
Students and staff at UC Davis will see the campus heating system change as Big Shift progresses, with the thermal storage tank expected to shift energy use to cheaper or cleaner hours. Projected annual utility savings of $3.15 million in Phase 2 could affect how campus operating budgets are allocated.
The takeaway
Campus sustainability rankings reflect concrete infrastructure choices, and the Big Shift project shows how switching heating systems and adding thermal storage can cut both emissions and operating costs. Readers interested in campus energy efficiency can track whether Phase 2 projections are met in future years.
What happens next
The climate change literacy general education requirement takes effect in 2030, marking the next scheduled milestone for the campus sustainability program.
Further reading
Explore more on Environmental coverage for Davis and the wider region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Daily Democrat.
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