| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.77 |
| Liaison | Breeana Sylvas |
| Submission Date | April 15, 2013 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of California, Merced
PAE-24: Sustainability Policy Advocacy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Has the institution advocated for federal, state, and/or local public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability, including the issues, bills, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
The University provided public support for the passage of Assembly Bill 130 and 131 (Cedillo), which were signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011. These bills allow for all students who qualify for a nonresident tuition exemption under AB 540, including those who are undocumented, to be eligible for scholarships derived from non-state funds received by the institution, and eligible to receive any student financial aid program administered by the State of California such as Cal Grants.
Environmental Sustainability; Campus Sustainability
California Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade program (2009-2011)
The University is on record supporting the California Air Resources Board’s creation of a state-wide greenhouse (GHG) gas cap-and-trade program. The University expects to be regulated under such a program because it operates several large, highly efficiency central plants that run on natural gas.
The University also proposed the creation of an opt-in compliance path under cap-and-trade, whereby regulated entities would receive free GHG allowances in exchange for commitments to reduce regulated emissions by seven percent and invest 125% of their expected compliance costs in direct GHG abatement projects.
See: http://www.arb.ca.gov/lispub/comm/bccommlog.php?listname=capandtrade10 (search for University of California)
The website URL where information about the institution’s advocacy efforts are available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.