Background
UCSB’s recorded greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 2006-2023, and future reduction goals.
UC Santa Barbara GHG Emissions Intensity:
GHG emissions by UC campus. UCSB maintains the lowest total GHG emissions across all UC campuses, as well as the lowest scope 1 and 2 emissions relative to both area and population size.
UC-Wide Carbon Neutrality
In 2022, University of California President Michael Drake launched the Pathways to a Fossil Free UC Task Force (P2FFUC) with the aim of gathering expert recommendations to achieve UC-wide carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Scope 1 emissions involve direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by the university, such as boilers or furnaces. In contrast, Scope 2 emissions encompass indirect emissions from energy purchased for campus use but produced offsite, like electricity from the grid. The P2FFUC Task Force aims to tackle the decarbonization of the campus’s central energy systems by providing a framework to develop recommendations, cost estimates, and timelines to minimize the University’s reliance on the onsite combustion of fossil fuels.
UCSB’s Clean Energy Master Plan and Decarbonization:
UCSB’s Clean Energy Master Plan will address a number of key aspects of decarbonization:
- Decarbonization Strategy and Analysis
- The Clean Energy Master Plan will define a strategy for 90% reduction in Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions; those resulting from onsite fossil used in campus energy systems and that make up the vast majority of UCSB’s GHG emissions. The Plan will provide high-level estimates encompassing both total capital and operational costs and savings and provide financial information crucial in weighing potential decarbonization strategies.
- Environmental Justice and Equity Analysis
- The Plan will identify environmental justice and equity considerations associated with the transition to fossil fuel-free infrastructure through research and local community outreach and based on the UC Framework for Incorporating Environmental and Climate Justice into Climate Action.
- Net-Zero Planning and Gap Analysis
- In addition to the formulation of a 90% emissions reduction strategy, the Plan will document any current knowledge gaps that point to areas for improvement and potential methods to incorporate new practices, as well as outline subsequent analyses required to conduct a comprehensive Net-Zero Campus assessment.
- Climate Action and Resiliency Planning in an Academic Setting
- Planning will incorporate the identification of living laboratory opportunities for research demonstrations, courses, or student projects, as well as service activities and scalable, replicable knowledge sharing.
Workshops and Public Meeting Schedule
| Workshop | Date | Summary | Links |
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Clean Energy Master Plan Campus Town Hall #1 |
10/25/2023 |
The kickoff event introduced the project and its team members to the UCSB community, providing details on the project’s background, goals, and projected timeline, and allowing time for questions. The team also elaborated on the project’s main five deliverables, potential strategies and pathways to meet net-zero goals, along with climate resiliency planning and equity considerations. |
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Environmental Justice and Equity Workshop |
10/31/2023 |
This workshop surveyed various community members to identify potential equity impacts of transitioning from existing energy sources to fossil-free energy systems and to identify the stakeholders affected, enabling us to proactively prioritize their needs. By engaging the campus community in the decision-making process, the project will include more diverse perspectives and ideas for moving forward, ensuring groups disproportionately impacted by the project will be involved in its future discussions. |
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Net Zero and Climate Resilience Gap Analysis Workshop |
11/16/2023 |
The workshop was structured as a collaborative discussion aimed at generating ideas for climate resilience strategies and identifying knowledge gaps that require attention. The activities focused on pinpointing current examples of UCSB resiliency planning, proposing future actions for enhancing campus resilience and reaching net-zero, and determining the group’s top action priorities for the project to concentrate on. |
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Clean Energy Master Plan Campus Town Hall #2 |
3/1/2024 |
The second Town Hall presented Introba’s initial comparison of electrification strategies aimed at achieving a 90% reduction in on-campus Scope 1 emissions, with a focus on engaging the campus community in the project. The event delved into pathways for achieving net-zero emissions, climate resilience planning efforts, and the development of a climate equity framework that intertwines equity and justice as vital considerations within technological energy decisions. |
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Clean Energy Master Plan Campus Town Hall #3 |
6/5/2024 |
As the end of our 1-year Decarbonization Study Project draws near, this Town Hall will summarize the outcomes of the analysis conducted by our consultants at Introba, and highlight the most promising technical solutions that will help the campus to achieve our reduction goals for Scope 1 emissions.
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Contact Us:
If you have any questions, or concerns, please send us an email at decarb@ucsb.edu
For student engagement and outreach opportunities please contact Orla Ayton at orla.ayton@introba.com
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UCSB Decarbonization Committee Co-Chairs |
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| Susannah Scott, Co-chair; Chair, Academic Senate; Distinguished Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry |
| Renée Bahl, Co-Chair; Co-Chair, Chancellor’s Sustainability Committee; Associate Vice Chancellor, Design, Facilities & Safety Services |
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UCSB Decarbonization Committee Members |
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| Kum-Kum Bhavnani, Distinguished Professor, Sociology; UC Fossil Free Task Force; Associate Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement |
| Eric Masanet, Professor, Bren School of Environmental Science & Management |
| Jim Rawlings, Professor, Chemical Engineering; Chair, Academic Senate Council on Planning and Budget |
| Josh Rohmer, Director, Capital & Physical Planning |
| Jordan Sager, Campus Energy Manager and Associate Director, Design, Facilities & Safety Services |
| Mia Reines, Associated Students representative |
| Olivia Quinn, Graduate Student Association representative |