DENTON (UNT), Texas--The University of North Texas has been ranked among the world’s most sustainable campuses in the third annual GreenMetric Ranking of World Universities, which is compiled by the University of Indonesia.

UNT is ranked second in Texas and 110 in the world. Universities from 49 countries were included in the rankings, and rankings were organized based on factors such as water usage, waste management and education.

The ranking emphasizes UNT’s commitment to being at the forefront of sustainability, and is the latest of many awards recognizing UNT’s commitment to being “green.” In 2012, UNT was recognized as “the best” by The North Texas Commission in its “Working for Clean Air” awards, as a Higher Education winner in the 2012 Green School Awards by the U.S. Green Building Council Central Texas – Balcones Chapter, and has been named a Green College by The Princeton Review two years in a row.

Some of UNT’s green efforts include the installation of six electric vehicle charging stations on campus; the installation of three wind turbines near Apogee Stadium; and the opening of four LEED Certified buildings, including UNT’s Business Leadership Building, Apogee Stadium, Life Sciences Complex, and UNT’s newest parking garage.

In 2008, UNT became the first large public university in Texas to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, pledging to adhere to more stringent environmental standards and promising to achieve at least LEED Silver certification on new buildings. The UNT Life Science Complex earned Gold LEED certification in 2011. That same year, UNT became the first university in the nation to earn LEED Platinum certification for a new construction, college football facility, when Apogee Stadium received the designation. Also in 2011, UNT became the first university to offer a fully vegan dining hall, Mean Greens.

UNT has robust recycling programs, gets about half its energy from renewable sources, has reduced its carbon footprint by a half-billion pounds, and will save about $3 million annually through a 20-year energy savings contract that includes efforts to make more than 120 buildings on campus more energy efficient.

Each year UNT recycles more than 360 tons of paper and cardboard, nearly 5,000 pounds of cans and 600,000 plastic bottles.