American Campus Communities Named in the Inaugural Texan by Nature 20

Texan by Nature (TxN), a Texas-led conservation non-profit founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, today announced that American Campus Communities (ACC) has been named as an honoree of the first-ever Texan by Nature 20 (TxN20) - an official ranking of 20 companies with Texas operations that have made a demonstrative commitment to conservation.

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At the Texan by Nature 20 Summit in Dallas, hosted by the non-profit’s founder First Lady Laura Bush, American Campus Communities was honored as a TxN 20 company for making a demonstrative commitment to conservation and sustainability. (Photo: Business Wire)

With the launch of the TxN 20, Texan by Nature aims to recognize the best and most innovative work in conservation coming from Texas-based business and operations. As part of the TxN 20, Texan by Nature will honor 20 companies across 10 industries in the Lone Star State whose ingenuity are forging new, beneficial paths in conservation.

“At Texan by Nature, our firm belief is that our long term prosperity and health is dependent upon our natural resources. In launching the TxN 20, we aim to spotlight innovation in conservation and inspire more substantial efforts to create a new model of conservation for Texans and our shared future,” said Joni Carswell, CEO & President of Texan by Nature. “It is an honor to showcase and celebrate the Texas-led innovation, commitment, and elevated practices spanning industries and our unique state.”

This year, in partnership with the University of California, Irvine, ACC developed what will be its first net-zero energy building, where the annual energy used in a year is matched by renewable energy generated on-site, achieving carbon neutral status. The UC Irvine community, Plaza Verde, is targeted to achieve LEED-Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, bringing ACC’s total number of LEED developments to 37. The company also retrofits its older communities with best practices established in newer developments. Since 2015, ACC completed 98 LED lighting retrofit projects, reducing annual energy usage by an estimated 27 million kilowatt hours, the equivalent of the annual energy output of more than 2,400 homes.

“We recognize that sustainability is a major area where we can do our part while continuing to make major strides in operating efficiencies,” said Bill Bayless, Chief Executive Officer for American Campus Communities. “Not only is it the right thing to do for environmental stewardship, it makes good business sense as it helps reduce operational and development costs, which translates into affordability for our student residents and provides longer-term property value.”

Founded in 1993, ACC creates residential experiences that build community and are conducive to healthy living, academic achievement and personal success. Sustainability is at the forefront of ACC’s development and operating strategy and the company is continuously making strides in this field every year. ACC’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) vision is to create healthy, sustainable environments with a sense of community and connection by giving back and investing in employees.

As beautiful as it is big, Texas is home to some of the largest cities in the United States and the world’s 10th largest economy. A leader in multiple industries with 11 ecoregions, 8 mountain ranges, and over 150 conservation organizations, Texas is a diverse state with the opportunity to model the importance of bringing conservation and business together for the benefit of our people, prosperity, and natural resources.

A catalyst for thought leadership, innovative partnerships and community-led solutions, Texan by Nature has been working with the Texas business community to implement Texas-led conservation practices, partnerships, and resources. Hosting a leadership roundtable series throughout the Lone Star State in 2018, business leaders in each major Texas city and across a spectrum of industries were brought together to engage in timely discussions around current conservation challenges and opportunities, including lack of education, awareness, collaboration, best practices and industry standards. In these sessions, business leaders voiced a desire to know more about the work being done across Texas, to learn the best practices for their industries, and to receive recognition for their efforts.

The final Texan by Nature 20 honorees were selected based upon a stated dedication to conservation, demonstrated commitment to conservation via investment and volunteerism, measurement and reporting of spending and impact on conservation efforts, and employee engagement. Honorees were identified through submissions as well as researched via publicly available information on conservation and sustainability efforts. An esteemed, cross-industry selection committee made the final selection of 20 honorees for the Texan by Nature 20.

2019 TxN20 HONOREES INCLUDE:

1. American Campus Communities
2. Apache
3. Austin Convention Center
4. Cactus Feeders
5. CEMEX
6. Cirrus Logic
7. Comerica
8. Darling Ingredients
9. Dell
10. DFW Airport
11. Farmer Brothers
12. Harvest Seasonal Kitchen
13. H-E-B
14. King Land & Water
15. NRG Energy
16. Parkland Health & Hospital System
17. Phillips 66
18. Southwest Airlines
19. Texas Health Resources
20. Union Pacific

Activating new investments, amplifying and accelerating innovations, and connecting partners to the resources they need to succeed, Texan by Nature offers select programs to help engage Texans in stewardship of the state’s rich land and diverse communities including the Conservation Wrangler Program, TxN Certification, the Conservation Wrangler Summit and the TxN 20. For more information on TxN partnerships and programs, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.texanbynature.org.

About TxN

Texan by Nature (TxN) unites business and conservation leaders who believe Texas’ prosperity is dependent on the conservation of its natural resources. TxN amplifies projects and activates new investment in conservation which returns real benefits for people, prosperity, and natural resources. Texan by Nature achieves mission goals through the Texan by Nature Certification program, Conservation Wrangler program, Symposia Series, and the Texan by Nature 20. Get involved and learn more at www.texanbynature.org and follow on Facebook @TexanbyNature, Twitter @TexanbyNature, and Instagram @texanbynature.

About American Campus Communities

American Campus Communities, Inc. is the largest owner, manager and developer of high-quality student housing communities in the United States. The company is a fully integrated, self-managed and self-administered equity real estate investment trust (REIT) with expertise in the design, finance, development, construction management and operational management of student housing properties. As of September 30, 2019, American Campus Communities owned 168 student housing properties containing approximately 113,400 beds. Including its owned and third-party managed properties, ACC's total managed portfolio consisted of 205 properties with approximately 140,300 beds. Visit www.americancampus.com

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