2021 Climate Action Plan
History
In 2007, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill became a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. In 2009, Carolina published its first Climate Action Plan.
The 2009 Climate Action Plan established 15 near-term strategies for carbon neutrality. Carolina has implemented 75% of these strategies, resulting in a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, despite increasea in campus square footage and in the campus population.
In 2019, both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.S. Federal Government issued reports emphasizing the need for immediate climate action and the potential consequences of not taking action. The responsibility of being a leader in climate action has never been greater for Carolina than it is now. The 2021 Climate Action Plan represents the first step of our renewed commitment to sustainability, together. This plan accelerates the carbon neutrality goal by ten years and includes new strategies to reach this goal.
A static report released every 5-10 years is not the most effective way to plan for carbon neutrality. Because the technologies, ideas, and resources available to Carolina can change quickly, the Climate Action Plan should be able to as well. For these reasons, Carolin has created this web-based Climate Action Plan that can be updated as our progress and plans evolve.
Report Highlights
To see updates on emission reduction projects, see Appendix A and the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report.
- Carbon neutrality goal: 2040
- Progress: 37% GHG emissions reduction since 2007 baseline year.
- Energy efficiency: Progress on emissions made despite a 21% increase in square footage and 18% increase in population,
- Campus steam use: Per square foot, 41% decrease.
- Campus electricity consumption: Per square foot, 25% decrease.
- Stationary combustion: Carolina reduced its coal use at the cogeneration plant by 67%.
- Purchased Electricity: 48% decrease due to efficiency projects and a cleaner grid.
Inventory
Since 2007, Carolina has completed an exhaustive GHG inventory annually. The graphic above depicts the results of the annual inventory. Since the 2007 baseline year, the University continues to reduce its GHG emissions, despite significant campus growth.
For a detailed trend report, visit our SIMAP emissions reporting page.
Goals
Because of the urgent and immediate need for climate action, Carolina has set new, more ambitious greenhouse gas goals.
- Carolina aspires to comply with Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 80 which calls for a 40% statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and Executive Order 246 which calls for a 50% statewide reduction by 2030.
- Carolina will strive to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, instead of 2050.
To reach these aggressive targets, the University needs the input and support of its campus community. Carolina is committed to transparency in our progress, successes, and limitations. By challenging circumstances that may preclude projects or change priorities, Carolina will maintain openness as progress towards these goals continues.
Net Zero by 2040
Net-zero emissions refers to the balance of human activities that contribute to carbon emissions and processes that remove that carbon from the atmosphere. To accomplish this, emissions coming from vehicles and energy generation can be limited. In addition, new technologies can be implemented to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
The Path to 2040: Project Prioritization
To meet the goals listed above, Carolina must take many actions over the next 20 years. Some actions have been identified, and many more are yet to be realized.
To utilize Carolina’s resources efficiently, over the next ~5 years, projects, strategies and initiatives will be evaluated on the critieria below. These criteria are not weighted and considerations of current budgets, needs and priorities will factor into final decisions.
Lowers Greenhouse Gas Emissions: While projects of all sizes will be considered, Carolina will prioritize projects that have the potential for large greenhouse gas reductions. As these projects are completed or ruled out, smaller projects will be elevated.
Co-Benefits: Projects with environmental, social, and equity benefits will be prioritized.
Technically Feasible: Regardless of the impact and benefits, projects must be technically feasible to be considered. While Carolina strives to be innovative in its approach, technologies must be at least semi-proven.
Financially Feasible: Carolina seeks to meet carbon neutrality in the most cost-effective way. The net present value of each project is compared to the emission reduction potential to get a NPV/MTCO2e figure. This figure is used to compare the financial viability of each project. Projects with positive net present values will be prioritized. The capital cost (relative to the emission reduction) will also be considered.
Practically Feasible: A project’s practical feasibility is determined by factors such as climate, geography, infrastructure, etc.
Excitement: It is important to get the campus community excited about efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Projects that are highly visible and draw attention to the effort are more attractive.
Living Learning Lab Impact: Due to Carolina’s mission as an institution of higher learning, projects that allow students, faculty, and staff to explore, research and learn are prioritized.
Strategies
Carolina has identified 23 strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These strategies could reduce emissions by 79% compared to the 2007 baseline.
Energy Strategies
Due to the size of campus, the amount of intensive research being conducted, and the steam needs of labs and UNC Hospitals, Carolina uses a lot of energy every year. Some of this energy comes from onsite sources such as the cogeneration facility, and some is purchased from Duke Energy. While both Carolina and Duke Energy are working to lower the greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy production, much of the energy used still comes from fossil fuels and releases greenhouse gases. Each year, the energy used in buildings on campus directly and indirectly contributes to roughly 70-75% of Carolina’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing emissions from campus energy use can be done in two general ways: reducing energy use and using cleaner energy.
Energy Efficiency
Reducing energy use on campus is the first step to decreasing energy-related emissions. By reducing energy use in buildings, Carolina lowers the associated greenhouse gas emissions while creating financial savings and possibly improving occupant comfort.
Carolina’s Energy Management team constantly works to increase the energy efficiency of existing buildings and new builds.
| Energy Efficiency Strategies |
|---|
| Continue energy conservation measures program. |
| Continue building optimization program. |
| Update building design guidelines. |
Stationary Combustion
Not only does Carolina have a high demand for steam, the supply must be extremely reliable to keep the hospital running and maintain sensitive research. The repercussions of campus energy outages can be immense, including loss of life or lifesaving research. To meet the campus steam demand, and maintain extremely high levels of reliability and resilience, Carolina needs to have multiple fuel options and be able to store fuel on site. Unfortunately, this means that Carolina currently uses fossil fuels to create steam.
Carolina is working to move the cogeneration facility away from coal as quickly as is technically and financially feasible. Currently, the University has increased natural gas use. While transitioning to natural gas is significantly lowering campus emissions, Carolina is still researching better long-term solutions. Until an alternative fuel source is found to minimize emissions while also generating the necessary steam output, Carolina utilizes the following strategies to reduce emissions in the short term while planning for a long-term sustainable solution.
| Stationary Combustion Strategies |
|---|
| Eliminate coal use. |
| Explore next generation fuels. |
| Update building design guidelines. |
Purchased Electricity
Carolina’s cogeneration facility produces roughly 15-20% of the University’s annual electricity use. Remaining electricity purchased from Duke Energy typically accounts for 20-25% of Carolina’s annual GHG emissions. There are three additional ways Carolina can continue to reduce purchased electricity emissions: onsite renewable generation, renewable energy purchases and Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) purchasing.
| Purchased Electricity Strategies |
|---|
| Increase on-campus renewable energy. |
| Procure renewable energy. |
| Purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). |
Transportation Strategies
Commuting
Commuting is one of the few upward-trending emission categories, with the exception of 2020 and 2021. This increase is largely due to more employees and students driving alone to campus, rather than using more efficient transportation. Reducing commuting emissions relies heavily on influencing individuals to make sustainable commuting decisions.
| Commuting Strategies |
|---|
| Encourage/aid Chapel Hill Transit transition to electric buses. |
| Increase engagement in Commuter Alternative Program. |
| Study parking pass structure. |
Air Travel
Being a global research university means domestic and international air travel. Carolina’s faculty, staff and students fly over 80 million miles annually for research, conferences and studies. Though this travel is often essential in making Carolina a leader in research, it is normally responsible for 10% of Carolina’s GHG emissions.
| Air Travel Strategies |
|---|
| Explore green air travel program. |
| Explore voluntary or mandatory carbon offsets. |
Fleet
Carolina’s fleet, which consists of around 900 vehicles, produced roughly half a percent of Carolina’s total emissions in 2021. Since 2007, fleet emissions fell 23%, primarily due to decreased fuel consumption and increased use of alternative fuels B20 and E85. The University is currently pursuing the strategies below to further reduce emissions.
| Fleet Strategies |
|---|
| Optimize vehicle choice. |
| Increase use of biofuels. |
| Expand use of vehicle telematics. |
Education and Research Strategies
As an institution of higher learning, simply reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not good enough. Carolina has a responsibility to educate and engage its community members to ensure that climate action occurs both on and off campus. With almost 30,000 students, and over 12,000 employees, this is a huge task, and equally large opportunity. Meeting Carolina’s sustainability goals will be much easier and impactful with full campus engagement.
| Education and Research Strategies |
|---|
| Create peer-to-peer sustainability program. |
| Increase engagement in New Student Orientation, Week of Welcome, and other events throughout the year. |
| Launch Green Office Certification program. |
Other Strategies
Greenhouse gases are sometimes used as part of operations including in switchgear and as refrigerants. In the case of switchgear, newer technology is available that doesn’t require the use of greenhouse gases for insulation. For refrigerants, climate-friendly alternatives may be available depending on the equipment being used. Carolina will continue to substitute when feasible.
| Other Strategies |
|---|
| Replace SF6 switches with solid-state dielectric switches. |
| Replace refrigerants with climate-friendly alternatives. |
Sustainable Together
The challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to reach carbon neutrality and meet our climate goals requires collaboration across all levels of Carolina. With ambitious plans for climate action also comes the need for funding. While most of the strategies and ideas outlined in this Climate Action Plan rely on decisions made at the institutional level, individual behaviors adopted by the Carolina community will be the key to realizing our ambitions.
As opportunities to connect and collaborate on individual behavior change continue to develop, Sustainable Carolina will facilitate these efforts. For ideas on the actions you can take to reduce emissions and create a more sustainable campus, please visit Sustainable Carolina’s Resources web page. This web page also includes a feedback form where you can send your idea for emissions reduction strategies to us.
By learning about the quantified emissions impacts of everyday choices, communicating greenhouse gas messaging to peers, and staying aware of new tools that shrink greenhouse gas footprints, the Carolina community moves toward our new ambitious climate goals together.
Acknowledgements
Developing this Climate Action Plan required a campus-wide collaboration. Thank you for all of the help in developing this. The following groups provided data or insights that helped form this plan: Carolina Dining Services, Energy Management, Energy Services, Fleet Services, Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling, UNC Study Abroad Office, The Town of Chapel Hill, Transportation and Parking, and Travel and Payment Card Services.
Appendix A
As progress is made towards our carbon neutrality goal, we will continue to update the contents of the plan. For detailed climate action progress. View our color-coded version of Appendix A (PDF).
| Emission Impact | Estimated Cost | Time Horizon |
|---|---|---|
| High: >10% of total emissions. | Low: <$100,000 | Short Term: <5 years |
| Medium: 1 to 10% of total emissions. | Medium: $100,000 to $1,000,000 | Mid Term: 5 to 10 years |
| Low: <1% of total emissions. | High: >$1,000,000 | Long Term: >10 years |
| Strategy Category | Project | Responsible Party | Project Description | Emission Impact | Estimated Cost | Time Horizon | Project Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | Continue energy conservation measures. | Energy Management | Carolina's Energy Management team will continue to identify, fund, and executive energy efficiency projects such as steam reductions, LED retrofits and airflow reductions to reduce campus energy use. | Medium | Low | Short | Ongoing |
| Energy Efficiency | Continue building optimization program. | Energy Management | UNC Energy Management's Building Optimization Program ensures that campus buildings are working correctly. By ensuring proper functioning, energy is saved and occupants are more comfortable. | Medium | Low | Short | Ongoing |
| Energy Efficiency | Update building design guidelines. | Facilities | Carolina is in the process of revisiting its building design guidelines to reflect the most current targets, strategies and technologies. By setting aspirational design guidelines, emissions of future buildings can be reduced. | Medium | Low | Short | Ongoing |
| Stationary Combustion | Eliminate coal use. | Energy Services | Carolina is committed to eliminating the use of coal as quickly as is technically and financially feasible. Currently that includes increasing natural gas use at the cogeneration facility to reduce coal use. | High | High | Mid- | Ongoing |
| Stationary Combustion | Explore next generation fuels. | Energy Services | Because natural gas is a temporary fuel solution, alternative fuels will be researched and tested until Carolina finds an alternative that is clean, renewable, reliable, and affordable. | High | High | Short to mid- | Ongoing |
| Stationary Combustion | Explore carbon capture. | Energy Services | Regardless of the fuel used, combustion results in carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon capture and storage technologies can be used to mitigate these emissions, regardless of the source. | High | High | Long | Ongoing |
| Purchased Electricity | Increase on-campus renewable energy. | Energy Services | Carolina currently has 73.5 kW of rooftop solar panels and ongoing projects that will increase this capacity. Carolina will continue to increase the amount of solar PV on campus as budgets allow. Installing solar on all suitable sites could offset up to 5% of all electricity consumption. | Medium | Medium | Short | Ongoing |
| Purchased Electricity | Procure renewable energy. | Energy Services | In North Carolina, third party sales of electricity are prohibited, meaning Carolina must purchase all electricity from Duke Energy. Duke Energy currently has three programs for renewable energy purchasing. Unfortunately, none of these programs work well for Carolina in their current forms. Carolina is currently analyzing potential ways to make these programs work or create new programs that would allow Carolina to procure renewable energy. | High | High | Short | Ongoing |
| Purchased Electricity | Purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). | Energy Services | If Carolina were unable to procure renewable energy through Duke Energy, renewable energy certificates could be purchased. Renewable energy certificates will only be used if Carolina cannot purchase renewable electricity. | High | High | Long | Exploring |
| Commuting | Encourage and aid Chapel Hill Transit in adoption of electric buses. | Chapel Hill Public Transit (CHT) Committee | In 2019, Carolina’s student-run RESPC helped fund three electric buses for CHT. Carolina will continue to work with CHT to encourage/aid the adoption of electric buses. | Low | High | Short | Ongoing |
| Commuting | Increase use of Commuter Alternative Program. | UNC Transportation and Parking | The Commuter Alternative Program offers numerous public transit benefits to members who use alternative transportation, including free bus passes, discounts at local businesses and more. | Medium | Low | Short | Ongoing |
| Commuting | Study parking pass structure and alternatives. | UNC Transportation and Parking | Redesigning the parking pass structure to favor low-emission vehicles and flexible day schedules could reduce commuting emissions. A study of the parking pass structure and potential alternatives will be done to determine potential changes. | Medium | Medium | Short | Ongoing |
| Commuting | Expand electric vehicle (EV) charging. | UNC Transportation and Parking | Charging infrastructure can be a limiting factor in electric vehicle adoption. Carolina will continue to add electric vehicle charging stations as funding allows to encourage electric vehicle adoption. | Low | High | Short | Ongoing |
| Air Travel | Explore green air travel program. | UNC Travel Services | Carolina will work to research and develop green air travel programs that use education and travel alternatives to reduce air travel emissions without compromising Carolina’s ability to be a global institution. | Medium | Low | Short to mid- | Not started |
| Air Travel | Research voluntary and mandatory air travel offsets. | UNC Travel Services | Carolina is currently researching many travel-specific carbon offset programs to determine whether these would be feasible and effective. | High | Low | Short to mid- | Ongoing |
| Fleet | Optimize vehicle choice. | UNC Fleet Services | Many vehicles on campus have a primary use different than their intended purpose. Fleet Services works with departments to select vehicles that are the correct size, type, and fuel. | Low | Low | Short | Ongoing |
| Fleet | Increase use of biofuels. | UNC Fleet Services | Carolina’s fleet has been increasingly using ethanol and biodiesel in its fleet when feasible. These fuels will continue to be used and expanded. | Low | Low | Short | 95% of fleet fuel is some biofuel blend. |
| Fleet | Expand use of vehicle telematics. | UNC Fleet Services | Carolina uses telematics in many of its vehicles and is expanding this program to more departments. The current telematics program has helped to reduce annual fuel use by roughly 28,000 gallons. | Low | Medium | Short | Ongoing |
| Education and Research | Create a peer-to-peer sustainability program. | Sustainable Carolina | Through programs such as “peer-to-peer sustainability”, sustainability challenges, and engagement and outreach, Carolina will increase its efforts to involve students in the initiatives to become a more sustainable campus. | Low | Low | Short | Launch 2025 |
| Education and Research | Increase engagement in student orientation, Week of Welcome, etc. | Sustainable Carolina | Sustainable Carolina is involved in these programs but will increase its involvement to reach more students and drive awareness. | Low | Low | Short | Ongoing |
| Education and Research | Launch Green Office Certification Program. | Sustainable Carolina | Carolina is developing a Green Office Certification program to help offices improve their sustainability through checklists and guidance on sustainability initiatives. Sustainable Carolina began piloting the program in 2022. | Medium | Low | Short | Launched |
| Other | Replace SF6 switches with solid-state dielectric switches. | UNC Facilities | Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas that is used in electric switchgear. Carolina is working to reduce leakage from its SF6 switches and is planning to replace aging switches with solid state dielectric switches, that do not produce fugitive emissions, as budgets allow. | Low | Medium | Short | Ongoing |
| Other | Replace refrigerants with climate-friendly alternatives. | UNC Facilities | Carolina is working to reduce refrigerant leaks and attempts to use refrigerants with low environmental impacts. | Low | Low | Short | Ongoing |
Appendix B
Carolina’s 2009 Climate Action Plan contained 15 strategies. The table below describe the status and results of each strategy. Some of these strategies are still ongoing and appear in our 2021 CAP. View a PDF of the 2009 strategies.
| Strategy | Strategy Description | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thin Client Computers | Utilize low-energy, longer lasting web-based computers for libraries and other applications. | Over 100 thin-clients are currently in use. Replacements are expected to have similar or smaller electricity demands. | Complete |
| Duplex Printing | Make double-sided printing the default for campus printers. | Duplex printing is standard. Due to this, and more paperless processes, paper use fell 76% between 2009 and 2021. | Complete |
| Computer Standby | Manage computer sleep and standby modes for campus computers. | Established a standard policy that sets screens, hard drives, and standby times to save energy. | Complete |
| Commercial Mail | Reduce the amount of junk mail or undeliverable mail sent to campus. | In 2016, Carolina adopted a Waste-Free Mail Program to reduce junk and undeliverable mail. | Ongoing |
| Chiller Efficiency Upgrades | Three projects to replace or upgrade chillers to more efficient models. | Many chiller efficiency projects have been completed. Emissions from chilled water operations fell 56% (‘09 to ‘21). | Complete |
| Heat-Recovery Chillers | Capture heat from chiller condensing unit for HVAC use, rather than venting. | Heat recovery chillers have been installed, assisting in the 59% decrease in chilled water emissions. | Complete |
| Behavioral Initiatives | Outreach and training to encourage occupants in energy savings. | Carolina continuously engages the community through several different outreach programs. | Ongoing |
| Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) | Improve energy efficiency in existing buildings using Energy Conservation Measures. | Due to the completion of many energy efficiency projects, Carolina’s energy use intensity fell 37% since 2003. | Ongoing |
| Green Building | Adhere to NC Senate Bill 668 energy efficiency requirements (30% below ASHRAE standards). | Ongoing improvements in building energy efficiency and retrofit projects have decreased EUIs across campus. | Ongoing |
| Vehicle Fleet | Increase fuel efficiency of campus fleet based on CAFÉ standards. | Due to mileage reduction, use of efficient vehicles, and increased biofuel use, fleet emissions fell 30% (‘09 to ‘21). | Ongoing |
| Composting | Extend composting to additional campus dining facilities and residence halls. | By expanding to more food service sites, compost collection increased 62% from 2009 to 2019. | Ongoing |
| Landfill Gas | Capture and combust landfill methane. | System was installed in 2012. As of July 2021, the system had achieved ~330,000 MTCO2e in emission reductions. | Ongoing |
| Business Travel | Teleconferencing facilities and technologies have improved, and air miles decreased 15% between 2009 and 2019. Air miles reduced significantly during the pandemic, as well. | Improve teleconferencing facilities to decrease air travel. | Unknown results |
| 20% Coal Substitute | Replace 20% of coal with torrefied wood. | This strategy was adopted under certain assumptions about torrefied wood and wood pellet technologies that failed to materialize. Wood pellets were tested in 2010 and 2011. Carolina is currently researching other biofuels, electric boilers, and carbon capture technologies to lower emissions. | Incomplete |
| Commuter Travel | Avoid parking construction and increase public transportation (light rail). | This strategy hinged on the completion of the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit project, which has been indefinitely suspended. More commuters drove to campus in 2019 than in 2009, but emissions remained flat due to commuters living closer to campus and using more efficient vehicles. A Bus Rapid Transit project is currently under development. | Incomplete |