UC in the news: Sustainability policy cuts carbon footprint, saves energy
March 22, 2010 •
Students were a moving force behind UC’s systemwide sustainability policy, adopted in 2003. Since going green, UC has been saving some green, along with reducing its carbon footprint.
The University would pay approximately $15 million more per year for energy if it had not implemented efficiency projects resulting from the systemwide sustainability policy, according to the annual report on the policy that was presented to the Board of Regents on March 23.
The policy includes mandates on energy efficiency, use of renewable resources, recycling, waste reduction, environmentally friendly construction methods, and campus foodservice guidelines.
“Students brought this issue to the regents in 2002 asking UC to practice what it teaches,” said Matthew St. Clair, the systemwide sustainability manager for UC. “The students did not just make demands; they have worked collaboratively to develop consensus on the policy goals and have worked alongside staff to achieve them.”
Read more about the greening of UC, and the important role played by students, at UC’s newsroom.
