University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
PA-2: Commitments and Planning
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.00 / 6.00 |
Cindy
Shea Sustainability Director Sustainable Carolina |
2.1 Public sustainability commitment
Narrative detailing the institution’s guiding vision or goals for sustainability and the plan(s) in which they are published:
Climate neutrality by 2040.
Net zero water use.
Zero waste to landfill.
Narrative and/or website URL outlining the institution’s external sustainability commitments that include a reporting requirement:
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
2.2 Measurable sustainability objectives
Narrative listing the institution’s measurable sustainability objectives that address teaching, learning, and research:
The Carolina Next Plan: Innovations for Public Good includes a measurable objective to "Facilitate learning that is experiential and collaborative, develops individual strengths, and encourages the understanding, ethical use and application of data." Additional measurable objectives are to "Lead in solving the world's most challenging problems" and "Achieve impact by providing platforms for faculty to develop solutions that address problems with critical implications for North Carolina and beyond."
The new General Education Curriculum, IDEAs in Action, applies to 100% of undergraduate students. Several of the learning outcomes specified within the new curriculum require that students study sustainability concepts. These outcomes include: "Explain human and environmental challenges that transcend national borders." "Identify, assess, and make informed decisions about ethical issues at the intersections of the sciences and society." "Interrogate the systemic processes by which forms of inequality are sustained and how these processes have been and are resisted and transformed."
https://catalog.unc.edu/undergraduate/ideas-in-action/
Has the institution adopted one or more measurable sustainability objectives that address stakeholder engagement?:
Narrative listing the institution’s measurable sustainability objectives that address stakeholder engagement:
The Carolina Next Plan: Innovations for Public Good includes a measurable objective to "Invest in policies, systems, and infrastructure that promote belonging, community, and transparency throughout the University community." Among the Strategic Opportunities is "Engage the Carolina community to understand what constitutes a sense of belonging on campus and develop best practices for creating such an environment. Part of this critical work includes developing and delivering a series of campus and community seminars on topics such as having difficult conversations, anti-racism and anti-Semitism."
Has the institution adopted one or more measurable sustainability objectives that address campus operations?:
Narrative listing the institution’s measurable sustainability objectives that address campus operations:
Building-related energy demand accounts for about 75% of UNC's GHG emissions and makes up the biggest piece of the campus carbon footprint, while representing a big opportunity for savings. The Energy Management department spearheads energy and water saving initiatives. UNC met its goal of a 30% reduction in energy use per square foot by 2015 relative to 2003. The new goal is a 40% reduction in energy use intensity by 2025.
Has the institution adopted one or more measurable sustainability objectives that address racial equity and social justice?:
Narrative listing the institution’s measurable sustainability objectives that address racial equity and social justice:
Higher Expectations University of North Carolina System Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 includes a goal to Make progress on equity gaps by race/ ethnicity and income. The target goal is to improve the four-year graduation rate by 6.5 percentage points by subgroup. The stretch goal is to increase the four-year graduation rate of each subgroup by 10 percentage points. The baseline graduation rate by subgroup is:
- Black or African American: 39.1 percent
- Hispanic or Latino: 50.6 percent
- Native American: 37.3 percent
- Two or more races: 48.9 percent
In fall 2024, Carolina started covering out-of-pocket costs for tuition and mandatory fees for North Carolina undergraduates whose families make less than $80,000 a year and have typical assets. This initiative broadens UNC-Chapel Hill’s commitment to access and affordability for North Carolina families.
Has the institution adopted one or more measurable sustainability objectives that address administration and finance?:
Narrative listing the institution’s measurable sustainability objectives that address administration and finance:
The Carolina Next Plan: Innovations for Public Good contains eight strategic initiatives including Optimize Operations.
One of the objectives was to Develop a teleworking program that improves employee engagement.
Operational Excellence, Human Resources and Equal Opportunity and Compliance, and
Finance and Operations partnered on the Future of Work project. This project was an
opportunity to re-imagine work at Carolina, leveraging what the University learned during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by two priorities, the University seeks to support an
exceptional employee experience by providing flexible work options while also upholding
our world-class on-campus experience for our students.
A key tenet was Making Equitable Decisions. The new Flexible Work Options Playbook is a guide to managing employees who work on-sire, hybrid, and remote.
https://hr.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/222/2022/01/Flexible-Work-Options-Playbook.pdf
Another objective was to Create a Lean Management culture through the development and implementation of a Lean Management training program.
Lean Foundations Training was launced for the campus community In October 2022.
https://operationalexcellence.unc.edu/training/
Next up is a project on Space Utilization Expectations
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
2.3 Climate resilience assessment and planning
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s climate resilience assessment:
The Climate Resilience Committee seeks to mitigate the hazards of rising temperatures, extreme weather events and changes in water and air quality to Carolina's campus. The Committee works in three areas to improve climate resilience.
- Environmental Scanning. What stressors exist on campus? Temperature, weather patterns, air/water quality
- Vulnerable Processes. Who and what are at risk? Health and wellness, supply chains and maintenance, facilities and operations.
- Community Partners. What partners would be valuable? University units, local businesses, governments, nonprofits.
Students in the Sustainable Triangle Field Site documented urban heat islands across campus. They walked 10 routes to collect temperature and humidity data. Then they used the data to build machine learning models that track hotspots around UNC. The group also compiled a policy brief for the University, providing potential solutions to these urban heat islands.
Does the institution participate in an ongoing campus-community task force or committee that is focused on climate resilience?:
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the campus-community task force or committee focused on climate resilience:
A campus community committee comprised of local and state elected officials, university administrators, and climate-focused nonprofits is working on climate change and resilience, renewable energy options, and people friendly transportation. One topic that has received considerable attention is how to turn the rail line that delivers solid fuel to the cogeneration plant into a rail to trail network.
The Center for Resilient Communities and Environment works with North Carolina communities to understand their vulnerability to natural stressors and help them develop strategies to strengthen their community's resilience.
Has the institution incorporated climate resilience strategies and/or goals into one or more of its published plans?:
Narrative listing the institution’s climate resilience strategies and goals and the plan(s) in which they are published:
UNC is committed to reducing reliance on potable water and decreasing stormwater runoff.
UNC and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority invested in a reclaimed water system to bring treated wastewater back to campus. The reclaimed water is used primarily in the cooling towers that are part of the central chilled water system. Secondarily, the reclaimed water is used for irrigating campus landscapes and recreation fields and for toilet flushing in new buildings adjacent to the reclaimed water lines.
Relying more on reclaimed water increases campus resilience to drought and enables other water customers to grow.
https://sustainable.unc.edu/focus-areas/water/water-plan/
History of water use and planning at Carolina using ESRI story maps
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/bdf8dfe708764c709ced8376b441a0d2
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
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.