Organizations

UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative (CNI)

Website: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/impact/climate-leadership

In November 2013, President Napolitano announced the Carbon Neutrality Initiative. The initiative commits the UC buildings and vehicle fleet to emitting net zero greenhouse gases of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions* by 2025 to help mitigate the UC contribution to global climate disruption and end its reliance on fossil fuels. The initiative calls upon climate research, improving energy efficiency, increasing renewable energy, and implementing related strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

President Napolitano had formed a Global Climate Leadership Council composed of scientists, administrators, students, and experts to advise the UC on energy services, applicable research, medical center climate action, sustainability policy, faculty and student engagement, health sciences and services, financial strategies and communications to achieve the 2025 goal.  Find out more about the initiative here.

With partnership with Vox, the University of California also created a video series, Climate Lab, to conceptualize climate change solutions and methods of thinking about it.

Videos include:

• Why humans are so bad at thinking about climate change
• Going green shouldn’t be this hard
• Why your old phones collect in a junk drawer of sadness
• Food waste is the world’s dumbest problem

UC Carbon Neutrality at UCSB

Over the last couple of years, our campus has been successful in advancing the goals of the initiative through improvements in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and outreach and education.

UCSB had already achieved the 2014 and 2020 goals to reduce GHG emissions first to 2000 then 1990 levels. Chancellor Henry Yang signed a pledge in accordance with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Conference of Parties (COP 21) and many staff, students, and faculty have been working towards carbon neutrality through engagement, research, and project implementation.

UCSB is currently installing over 5 megawatts of solar on campus. This will account for about 11 percent the university’s energy needs.

*Emission Scopes

• Scope 1- Direct Emissions: on-site natural gas, diesel and propane combustion; campus fleet emissions; marine vessel emissions; and fugitive emissions
• Scope 2- Indirect Emissions: purchased electricity
• Scope 3- Indirect Emissions (Other): University-funded business air travel and student staff and faculty commuting

UC Global Food Initiative (GFI)

Website: https://www.ucop.edu/global-food-initiative/index.html

The UC Global Food Initiative was launched in 2014 by UC President, Janet Napolitano, with the vision of sustainably and nutritiously feeding the world’s population by 2025. UC GFI aims to make the UC system a pioneer in improving food security, health, and sustainability. In order to achieve success, the initiative identifies the best and most sustainable practices that can be applied worldwide using UC research to improve local and global food systems, as well as driving and implementing food policy discussions.

UC GFI consists of 23 working groups on all 10 campuses across 5 topic areas including: production, sourcing, education and communication, policy and public impact, and access and security.

UCSB Sustainability Internship Program

Website: https://www.sustainability.ucsb.edu/ucsb-sustainability-internship-program
Email: kcmaynard@ucsb.edu

The UCSB Sustainability Internship Program offers a wide array of opportunities for current undergraduate and graduate students to participate in campus and community based programs and initiatives. We serve as a launching point for new internship projects, much like an incubator for start-up companies. These opportunities include paid, academic credit, and volunteer-based internships and volunteer activities. Our home office is based in the Department of Geography.