ORIGINALLY FOUNDED IN 1853 as the East Florida Seminary, the institution later renamed the University of Florida (UF) moved to its current location in Gainesville in 1906. The largest and oldest university in the state, UF resides on 2,000 acres and provides educational opportunities for over 46,000 students. As the flagship institution of higher learning in the state, UF has acted as a steward in addressing global warming and climate change issues through its sustainability initiatives.

In 1994, UF president Charles Young signed the Talloires Declaration in an effort to convey support for actions to reduce environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources. Three years later, members of the UF community initiated a grassroots campaign called Greening UF to engender a sense of environmental stewardship ...