Marks of Distinction Details List of Awarded Marks
Marks of Distinction 2019 Infographic
Making Your Mark: Climate Leadership Network institutions lead with Distinctions
Marks of Distinction is an initiative for the Climate Leadership Network that recognizes signatories that set high-performance goals, demonstrate and report measurable progress towards those goals and support Network activities.
For more than a decade, signatory institutions have shared their knowledge by developing climate action plans and submitting annual progress evaluations. Until now, this information has never been used to recognize the accomplishments of individual schools. The Marks of Distinction recognize schools according to key performance indicators that demonstrate climate leadership.
The Marks of Distinction initiative will allow your institution to tell the story of your progress to students, faculty, community members, and alumni. Signatories are encouraged to strive to achieve Marks of Distinction and to share the recognition with your campus & community to inspire further climate action.
Marks of Distinction Categories
Marks of Distinction are awarded in three categories:
- Performance: Recognizes climate action progress based on data collected through the Reporting Platform
- Participation: Recognizes participation in a program or initiative that advances a campus’ climate action
- Goals: Recognizes institutions that have set aggressive climate action goals, going above and beyond incremental change

Marks of Distinction
Type How Are the Marks of Distinction Determined?
More Information What year's data
or participation will this be awarded on?

100% Renewable Energy Goal Goal A public statement declaring a 100% Renewable Energy purchasing goal by 2030. Starting in 2019, institutions will also be able to note this goal in their updated Climate Action Plan.
Renewable Energy is defined as Thermal and Electricity purchases. More Information All Years

Aggregated Renewable Energy Purchase Program Signatories who have joined together, and made an aggregated large scale renewable energy purchase. More Information All Years

Billion Dollar Green Challenge Participation Billion Dollar Green Challenge participants have committed to establishing Revolving Funds that are 1% of the institution’s endowment value, or one million dollars. More Information 2019

C2P2 Participation Participation in the Carbon Credit and Purchasing Program, which indicates leadership in campus emissions reduction and verification of marketable carbon offsets, and a dedication to reinvestment of proceeds in further carbon reductions. More Information 2019

Carbon Neutral Performance A 100% reduction of total carbon from baseline to current year as reporting in the Annual Progress Evaluation. More Information 2019

Carbon Neutral Goal by 2025 Goal A carbon neutrality goal in the Climate Action Plan that is 2025 or sooner. More Information Current CAP



Carbon Reduction
25%, 50%,75% Performance Represents meeting reduction thresholds of total carbon from baseline to current year as reporting in the Annual Progress Evaluation. For example if an institution has a 41% reduction, this crosses the 25% threshold. More Information 2019

Climate Leadership Award
Performance The Climate Leadership Awards recognize advanced leadership in climate change mitigation and resilience across academic, community, and operational arenas. More Information 2019

Cross Sector Forums Participation Institutions that held public campus and community forums or workshops on shared climate action plan goal setting and/or resilience assessments. Program participation is Indicated via the Resilience Assessment Reports, UC3 participation, or other public statements. More Information 2019

Honor Society Participation Through exemplary contribution to the Network via dues or service activities. More Information 2019

On Track Performance Institutions select their own carbon reduction goals in the Climate Action Plan, when their submitted data via the Annual Progress Evaluation matches these goals, they would be determined "On Track". More Information 2019

Renewable Energy Purchaser;
25%, 50%, 75%, 100% Performance In the Annual Progress Evaluation signatories can note the percent of a signatory’s energy purchase is renewable in a given year. This includes electricity and thermal energy but not transportation fuels. More Information 2019

Revolving Fund Goal A Revolving Fund is a financing mechanism targeted to campus climate action projects that lower emissions, increase capacity for future projects, and reduce operating costs. More Information 2020

We Are Still In Participation Represents institutions who have participated in the We Are Still In campaign, voicing crucial support for continued US participation in international climate agreements.
More Information 2019
Marks of Distinction
Type How Are the Marks of Distinction Determined?
More Information What year's data
or participation will this be awarded on?

or participation will this be awarded on?

Renewable Energy is defined as Thermal and Electricity purchases.








25%, 50%,75%





25%, 50%, 75%, 100%


or participation will this be awarded on?