Gold STARS: Tec community advances in global sustainability assessment

16 Tec de Monterrey campuses have renewed their STARS sustainability certification, 10 of them receiving the Gold rating and 6 the Silver.

By Nuria Máquez Martínez | Redacción Nacional CONECTA - 06/04/2026 Photo Kevin Chaires, Antonio Martínez

Read time: 4 mins

Thanks to the environmental actions of Tecnológico de Monterrey’s community, 16 of its campuses have received the STARS Certification, winning both silver and gold according to the international evaluator.

This year, 10 campuses earned a Gold rating and 6 a Silver, a huge improvement since only the Monterrey campus reached Gold in 2023.

The Gold rating campuses are Monterrey, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Santa Fe, Querétaro, Puebla, State of Mexico, Toluca, San Luis Potosí, and Chihuahua. The Silver rating campuses are Sonora Norte, Sinaloa, Ciudad Juárez, Laguna, León, and Aguascalientes.

Each campus is evaluated independently, not the institution as a whole, meaning that the 16 campuses earned their rating based on on-site operations, not on their broader institution’s size or prestige.

Paola Visconti, Director of Sustainability and Social Impact at the Tec, said: “It’s often difficult to explain the why and how of this work”, and she commended the campuses and the institution for its achievements.

Alumna Tec deposita contenedores de plástico en maquina recicladora. — *Tec campuses promote the use of reusable plastic utensils. They operate machines to reuse plastic containers. Photo: Antonio Martínez*

For the Tec, participating in STARS goes far beyond earning recognition. It’s a way to measure its global standing, validate its practices, and identify areas for improvement.

“Having a very clear understanding of what they’re asking for also helps us to communicate better”, said the Director of Sustainability and Social Impact.

The STARS sustainability certification, sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), evaluates the sustainability performance of universities worldwide.

It evaluates universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Yale, Princeton, Georgia Tech, Northeastern University in Boston, and Syracuse University in New York, among others.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) evaluates institutions across five areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning, and innovation.

hombre separando basura — *Some of the actions implemented by the campuses include separating waste. Photo: Antonio Martínez*

Initiatives led by the Tec community on campus

Visconti and Operations Director Jaime Dorantes shared examples of the initiatives documented for certification, ranging from operational changes to academic projects.

On an operational level, the Querétaro campus uses its parking revenue to fund the internal transit system.

What’s more, several campuses have solar panels, water treatment plants, and systems to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics. They also have waste separation systems.

"The 2030 vision won’t be achieved by just a select few. We all need to be very clear on our direction". - Paola Visconti.

On an academic level, the Ruta Azul Campus Vivo program supported around 50 recycling, composting, gardening, and workshop projects across various campuses.

This scheme required cross-functional teams to qualify for funding, which fostered collaborations between operations, academia, and students, which according to Tec directors, would not have happened otherwise.

The Sustainability area also participated as a training partner in over 50 academic training units, integrating sustainable development directly into the classroom and among students and teachers.

Planta de tratamiento de campus Monterrey. — *Monterrey campus and other Tecnológico de Monterrey campuses have water treatment plants. Photo: Abigail Guzmán*

STARS Certification: What does it measure?

This certification evaluates initiatives from renewable energy generation and waste management to applied research, collaborations with companies and government entities, and sustainability-focused degree programs.

Each campus must identify, document, and justify its initiatives to the AASHE platform, with the participation of teams in operations, academia, engagement, and culture.

Operations Director Jaime Dorantes said that the first assessment in 2023 exposed a gap between what Tec was doing and what it could substantiate.

“We do many things here as an institution, but we weren’t coordinated. The first assessment revealed that many of our processes lacked a certain methodology and documentation.”

For this second edition, the campuses defined their local sustainability plans and established dedicated committees.

Visconti explained that this made it possible to identify uncoordinated actions, such as sustainability research, campus environmental projects, and community and government links.

Paneles Solares en campus Sonora Norte. — *Certain Tec campuses, such as Sonora Norte, have solar panels. Photo: Rodolfo Gil*

The challenges ahead: Sustainable culture

This certification measures institutional initiatives, but Dorantes said that the true challenge lies in changing everyday behaviors.

He explained that the Tec installed reusable container machines on several campuses to eliminate single-use plastics, but they still face some pushback from the community. Waste separation is still inconsistent.

According to the Operations Director, the STARS results highlight that every action counts, from teachers turning off lights to students separating their waste.

“If you mix organic and inorganic waste, all is lost. The simple act of sorting is the first link in the chain”.

Visconti admitted that this isn’t yet a widespread practice. More and more people are interested in participating, but the goal is for sustainability to stop relying on those who are already convinced.

“The Tec’s 2030 vision won’t be achieved by just a select few. We all need to be very clear on our direction”.

In May, alongside its STARS results, the Tec presented Ruta Azul 2030, the next phase of its sustainability strategy seeking to move beyond simple footprint reduction and towards the regeneration of the territories where it operates.

The next STARS goal is to achieve a Platinum rating, the system’s highest-tier certification, held by only 11 institutions around the world.