Land, Buildings & Real Estate (LBRE) is the operational core of Stanford’s physical campus and home to many departments within Sustainable Stanford, including the steward of the Sustainable Stanford brand (the Office of Sustainability), Land Use & Environmental Planning, Transportation, Mail Package Services, Energy Operations, Water Resources & Civil Infrastructure, Buildings, Grounds, & Maintenance, and many more. These groups showcase how planning for sustainability, climate adaptation, and resilience is possible for long-term efficiency, performance, and financial health. Through its day-to-day operations, LBRE lays the groundwork for sustainability innovation to emerge and thrive.
In its inaugural year, the Living Lab Fellowship Program fostered cross-campus collaboration, hands-on learning, and lasting impact through 16 student-led operational sustainability projects.
This project developed accurate measurements of carbon stocks in Stanford’s open spaces.
Laura DiMario, Executive Director of Stanford’s Redwood City campus, is leading the way in sustainable building operations by piloting waste-reducing custodial products and championing zero-waste practices across campus.
To help celebrate Earth Day, the Office of Sustainability hosted visits of PSSI’s waste truck at child care centers on campus.
The Office of Sustainability hosted a Climate Action Plan Community Forum, bringing together over 60 participants to discuss Stanford’s climate initiatives and share feedback.
In 2024, Stanford placed second in both the Per Capita Recycling and the Food Organics categories for large universities.
As of September 2023, Stanford’s recyclables are processed at the GreenWaste Material Recovery Facility, where at least 85% of materials are recovered.
Thanks to collaborative campus efforts, Stanford won first place for in Food Organics and second place for Recycling Among Large Campuses in the 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste.
Edward Florendo, animal care supervisor at the School of Medicine, partnered with Stanford’s Office of Sustainability to turn a hard-to-recycle plastic into a recyclable material.
During Stanford’s Alumni Weekend, over 50 alumni gathered at the Explore Energy House for a powerful discussion on the university’s Climate Action Plan.