Office of Sustainability Releases Earth Month Annual Progress Updates
In honor of Earth Month, the Office of Sustainability is proud to share with you the impactful work underway across the University to reduce our environmental impact under Plan 2030.
Aligned with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Science-Based Target Initiative, Plan 2030 sets the University on an aggressive trajectory to reach net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.
This year, we have formalized two implementation pathways for Plan 2030: Building Net Zero and Living Net Zero. Building Net Zero focuses on decarbonizing our physical footprint through real estate electrification, energy efficiency measures, and aligning all renovations, retrofits, and new construction with net zero goals. This critical work on our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions is underway.
Living Net Zero mobilizes our entire community to drive the significant behavioral changes needed to tackle Scope 3 emissions from travel, purchasing, waste, and more. Cross-campus Think Tanks are generating bold ideas, while our Campus as a Living Lab initiative harnesses our community's problem-solving power.
Our target by 2025 is to reduce our emissions by 15% from 2019 levels, and while we're on track, the road ahead will present challenges. Engineering studies, logistical planning, and decisive action are all essential. As a community, we must grapple with complexity to fulfill our shared commitment as a climate leader. In September we will release our annual report, outlining in more detail progress towards the science-based targets published in Plan 2030.
We're grateful for your partnership in driving this essential sustainability work forward. Together, we can build a more sustainable future for Columbia and the world.