Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.44
Liaison Andrea Trimble
Submission Date March 4, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of Virginia
IN-48: Innovation B

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Julia Monteith
Senior Land Use Planner
Office of the Architect
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Climate Action - Engage, Steward, Discover Approach

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:

UVA’s sustainability efforts are organized around how we Engage and serve our community, Steward resources and live our values, and Discover ways to learn about and solve global challenges.

STEWARD: UVA has set climate goals to be carbon neutral by 2030, fossil fuel free by 2050, and to reduce reactive nitrogen losses to the environment 30% by 2030.

ENGAGE: UVA and the College of William & Mary have committed to partner in achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 at each university, and UVA has joined with the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County sustainability staff to collaborate on engagement, with a focus on equity, through Climate Action Together.

DISCOER: UVA's Energy Transition Initiative (https://energytransition.coopercenter.org/)
brings together experts in economics, policy, planning, and energy systems from the Weldon Cooper Center, Virginia Solar Initiative, Virginia Clean Energy Project, and other units at the University of Virginia" and focuses on three main avenues to provide this support:

Identifying pathways to a net-zero-carbon energy sector by 2050;
Identifying roadblocks and reduce barriers to achieve pathways;
Serving as conveners to promote informed, engaged, and inclusive decision-making.
We advance these goals by researching clean energy and sustainability practices; by developing and maintaining tools to help localities understand the process, costs, and benefits of adopting cleaner energy technologies; and by engaging directly with policymakers, energy providers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and other interested stakeholders to smooth the transition to a sustainable energy economy."

Additionally, UVA's Environmental Resilience Institute "is the hub of environmental resilience and sustainability research at the University of Virginia. ERI builds a diverse and collaborative community to accelerate the rate of discovery, trains the next generation of leaders in integrative research, and develops external partnerships to translate research findings into policy and practice. Over 100 faculty from 10 UVA schools are affiliated with the Institute. Focus areas evolve over time to reflect opportunities and need. Current priorities for ERI funding are Climate Resilience, Water and Energy Security, and Environment and Health." (https://eri.virginia.edu/about-us/)


A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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