All 10 campuses and their affiliated health systems have reduced greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels – a notable achievement given UC’s significant growth over the last three decades.

That’s more than 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon a year — a big number. UCLA researchers saw the opportunity to do something about it.

The University of California received a 2021 Green Power Leadership Award today for accelerating the transition to clean energy.

Scientists at UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz are exploring a potential project to combine renewable energy with water conservation.

As the nation’s premier public research institution and California’s third-largest employer, the University of California has taken bold steps to confront the existential threat of climate change and to harness the power of science to create solutions. While UC is a national leader among universities in its efforts to lower its greenhouse gas emissions and to invest in clean energy, the University recognizes it will take collective action to pull us back from the brink of disaster given the scale and severity of the climate crisis. The University therefore welcomes a stronger partnership with the federal government to embark on a new period of innovation and discovery and looks forward to seeing how our renowned faculty contribute to addressing this crisis.

University of California President Michael V. Drake, M.D., released the following statement today (Jan. 20) in response to President Biden’s executive order reinstating the U.S. to the Paris climate accord. 

The University of California has taken a major step toward meeting its 2025 carbon neutrality goals with two innovative clean energy projects in California: the construction of a new biogas plant and a utility-scale solar array, a collection of multiple solar panels that generate renewable electricity. The efforts bring UC nearly halfway to its ambitious clean energy objectives while reducing costs along the way.

The University of California applauds and fully supports the California Climate Investment Framework spearheaded by Gov. Gavin Newsom in collaboration with the state’s three pension plans.

 

University of California campuses are phasing out single-use plastics as part of a bold commitment to achieve zero waste, furthering its long-established, innovative sustainability efforts and goals. The new policy will transition UC away from plastic bags in retail and dining locations and eventually eliminate single-use plastic food service items and plastic bottles. 

University of California President Janet Napolitano issued a statement today (Nov. 5) following the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris climate agreement.

Twenty-two thousand students, staff and faculty from across all 10 University of California campus locations and the University of California Office of the President participated in a month-long competition that resulted in over 21,650,000 pounds of carbon dioxide saved.

The university pledges to transition to clean energy by 2025.