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 our resources webpage. This 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.
FAQ
A: The COVID-19 pandemic brought an ongoing set of operational challenges that will have lasting impacts on how we function as an institution and as individuals. The emissions impacts of adjusted operations such as telework are still being analyzed as data is collected. Fewer people on campus will likely lower building energy use, waste production and commuting emissions.
A: UNC-Chapel Hill is exploring ways to increase electric vehicle adoption among campus users and the university-operated fleet. This includes installing more electric charging stations around campus. As electric vehicle development continues and more types become available on the market, the feasibility of replacing existing vehicles at the end of their useful life will be considered. UNC Transportation and Parking is actively pursuing grants for charging stations.
A: Carbon offsets will be considered to lessen the impact of irremovable emissions. These include air travel for study abroad programs, research needs and athletic events, as well as commuting. The current strategy is to reduce emissions as much as possible, then offset remaining emissions.
A: UNC-Chapel Hill considered installing an anaerobic digester to create fuel from food waste. This system could eliminate some methane emissions for the University, but the technology was determined to be infeasible based on cost, size constraints and logistics.
A: While this is a timely concern, the ability to deliver nearby, affordable housing is not within the scope of University operations. Affordable housing initiatives necessitate the involvement and funding from multiple stakeholders, primarily local municipalities and developers.
A: The existing Commuter Alternatives Program at UNC serves as an ongoing incentive for lowering commuting emissions. Further information can be found here.
A: Many sustainable purchasing guidelines are currently implemented within our procurement systems. An example includes the prioritization of recycled paper suppliers, which contributes to decreased emissions for paper purchases.
A: A framework for expanding sustainability research is outlined as an objective within the CAP.
A: In collaboration with the student group Vegans for Peace, CDS developed a menu with a wide variety of vegan-friendly proteins, vegan pizza with Daiya cheese and Meat “Less” Mondays during which 15% less meat is served.
A: Current North Carolina regulations prohibit a customer from purchasing electricity from unregulated third-party providers, such as those commonly associated with solar installations of various scales. Not being able to enter a power purchase agreement with third parties poses a barrier to obtaining competitively-priced renewable energy in accordance with our charter to deliver services to the public of North Carolina at the lowest cost to taxpayers. The policy landscape is ever-evolving, and we are committed to continuously monitoring and evaluating our options. A current policy option that is explored in the CAP is the Green Source Advantage program offered by Duke Energy, which is intended to allow specific customers in North Carolina the ability to purchase renewably-generated electricity through Duke Energy directly. This strategy is being actively investigated, and many schools in the UNC system are assessing the cost and contractual terms. For local installations, UNC-Chapel Hill currently has a renewable energy project in progress at the former Horace Williams Airport, a combination of a solar array with a storage battery that will be used primarily for research and education. Solar arrays are already in place atop the Student Union and the North Carolina Botanical Garden. The feasibility of expanding rooftop solar installations on campus has been assessed by Sustainable Carolina. We found that maximizing rooftop solar, while acknowledging constraints such as structural and historical limitations, could satisfy up to 5% of campus electric demand.
A: UNC-Chapel Hill uses steam to sterilize medical instruments, generate electricity, heat buildings and control humidity. Since steam is a local product and cannot be purchased from a utility the way that electricity can, UNC utilizes boilers to generate steam and a district energy system to distribute the steam to campus customers. The boilers currently operate with a mix of natural gas and coal with a higher percentage of natural gas each year in an effort to use less coal. Since natural gas emits fewer GHGs than coal, natural gas is viewed as a short-term solution. There is a continuous effort to research and test alternative fuels that provide the resilience required to operate a large campus and multiple hospitals. Any solution needs to meet the feasibility criteria detailed in the Climate Action Plan.
A: Efforts pertaining to water, waste and other sustainability issues are ongoing, even though these topics are not necessarily mentioned in our CAP. They are part of the broader strategy-forming process within Sustainable Carolina and the Carolina Sustainability Council. To read our Water Plan, navigate to our the Water Plan webpage.
Feedback and Updates
This Climate Action Plan is a living document. We originally released it in draft form to start the discussion with all members of our community in ways we can improve it. A modified stakeholder engagement strategy was used due to pandemic-related challenges. This strategy included a feedback form to capture ideas, suggestions, questions, and concerns that closed on June 15, 2021. Since many individuals had similar questions, we grouped the feedback by themes and are sharing it in the table below.
