Achieving Carbon Neutrality within the University of California
Many actions will be necessary for the University of California to meet its goal of carbon neutrality – from implementing physical measures on the campuses to purchasing carbon offsets.
For these actions to be successful, there must be support for them from students, faculty, staff, and administrators on all UC campuses. To this end, UC Santa Barbara’s Institute for Energy Efficiency and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) co-facilitated a working group to develop a research-based communication and engagement strategy that is inclusive and aligns with the values and priorities of the UC community. Root Solutions conducted a determinants analysis to understand and address barriers to students engaging in carbon neutrality initiatives across UC campuses. Our findings from this, and our overall recommendations, along with those of our partners, was published in the report “Strategic Communication to Achieve Carbon Neutrality within the University of California”.
UC Santa Barbara’s Institute for Energy Efficiency is a world leader in developing breakthrough technologies that substantially save energy while advancing the standard of living worldwide.
NCEAS works to accelerate scientific discoveries that will enhance our understanding of the world and benefit people and nature, as well as to transform the scientific culture to be more open, efficient, and collaborative.
The University of California is dedicated to educating the next generation of environmental leaders, putting climate resilience and climate justice at the heart of their sustainability efforts. UC has reduced its climate impact through energy efficiency programs and solar projects. Since their formal sustainability commitments began in 2003, they have expanded the scope of the Sustainable Practices Policy to include climate, transportation, building operations, waste, procurement, food, water, sustainability performance, and more.