Sustainability Coalition
Bridging Carolina Staff & Students
The Sustainability Coalition is made up of UNC-Chapel Hill staff and student organizations. Any student in an organization looking to integrate sustainability into their club’s on-campus activities is encouraged to join.
On the staff side, coalition members include Sustainable Carolina, Carolina Dining Services, Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, Edible Campus and UNC Transportation and Parking. Student organizations represented during the 2023-2024 academic year include Carolina Outing Club, RESPC, Epsilon Eta, Solar Equity and Student Government.
Interested in attending our Coalition meetings? Send Abigail Brewer an email at Abigail.Brewer@unc.edu.
Student Organizations
Organizations covering a range of environmental and sustainability topics give students the chance to pursue their interests outside of the classroom. At the beginning of each school year, all environmental and sustainability organizations are invited to table at our Sustainability Social. Explore the different organizations below.
Carolina 360 is a social impact group that seeks to better understand the world while helping the campus and greater community. They currently support environmental campaigns related to plastic reduction and protection of wildlife refuges. 
The Carolina Beekeeping Club gives students a chance to get involved in all aspects of apiculture: including learning about the life cycle and complex social structure of honeybees, managing hives, using the products of the hive (wax and honey), planting pollinator friendly crops, marketing the products and sharing the importance of pollinators with the wider community. 
The Carolina Climate and Health Alliance (CCHA) welcomes students from all academic backgrounds who are passionate about climate and health. The group aims to improve resilience to climate change through collaboration, community engagement, networking, service, scholarship, social events and advocacy. 
The Carolina Green Team promotes sustainability and environmental education in elementary schools across the Triangle.
The Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan grassroots climate change advocacy organization. The UNC-Chapel Hill chapter holds productive conversations about climate change in communities, builds support for climate action among community leaders and meets with members of Congress to advocate for climate change solutions.
CompostMates breaks down barriers to composting (like time, space transportation and/or funds) by collecting food scraps from students living off campus twice a month.
The Environmental Law Project exposes law students to the issues, opportunities and people involved in environmental law. It gives students practical experience through pro bono projects and the Environmental Law Symposium. It also provides grants to students working summer internships and opportunities to network via social events and speakers series.
The Food Justice Alliance aims to improve how students engage with food justice issues in order to train professionals to create systemic change supporting sustainability and equity. The group hosts panels, farm tours and social events.
The UNC-Chapel Hill chapter of NCPIRG Campus Action allows students to put knowledge into action. Student can get involved as organizers, interns and/or volunteers on campaigns pertaining to eliminating plastics, registering voters, making college more affordable and mitigating hunger and homelessness.
The student-run Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee (RESPC) manages money allocated by the Student Renewable Energy Fee ($4 per student per semester) to plan and implement renewable energy, energy efficiency and management, and energy education projects on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill.
About
SolarEquity is a student-run, nonprofit organization that seeks to empower North Carolina residents by facilitating solarization projects in affordable housing communities by building valuable partnerships to drive an equitable and sustainable energy transition.
The Sustainable Business Club is affiliated with the Kenan-Flagler Business School, but any student is welcome to join. The club hosts a speaker series with clean-tech experts, works with businesses through the Impact Project and facilitates collaboration among students and the sustainability sector.
The Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) defends social justice through environmental initiatives. We communicate messages of environmental and political activism through local and state initiatives. The group has participated in several international service learning trips.
Sustainable Surfers hosts discussions about current events related to environmental and sustainability current and works within the local community to help businesses decrease their environmental impact. The group worked with Que Chula on Franklin Street to swap out their traditional polypropylene straws for marine biodegradable ones. In Fall 2023, the group is planning a surfing and sustainability trip to KittyHawk SurfComp.
The United Solar Initiative is a nonprofit organization based in Durham, NC. On Carolina’s campus, the organization works to give students a chance to get involved in solar energy storage projects, both here in North Carolina and around the world. The group also gives students the opportunity to network with professionals in the solar sector.
Student Organization Highlights
