In order for colleges and universities to state their commitment to sustainability
they have begun to join environmental charters, which emphasize the importance of
incorporating green issues into education, research, and campus operations. As a result of
such initiatives, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) has notably experienced an increase in certifications for higher education buildings since 2002 and by now this sector accounts for over 13 percent of all the projects certified under the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system (Galayda and Yudelson,
2010).