CLIMATE ACTION PLAN - City of Urbana

1.10 CURRENT ACTIONS
C. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ACTIONS
Carbon Neutral by 2050:
The University of Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) outlines strategies and initiatives for meeting the University’s
obligations to the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The University’s Baseline
Emissions Inventory was conducted for the year 2008. Based on the 2008 baseline data and the scenario strategies
developed by the University, the University’s over-arching goal is to become carbon neutral by 2050.
The total campus emissions inventory for fiscal year 2008 (the baseline year) was 570,000 Metric Ton Equivalent
(MtCO 2
e) of carbon dioxide (CO 2
). Approximately 85 percent of these emissions are a direct result of the need to heat,
cool, and operate campus buildings. Most of the energy produced for building operations comes from the combustion
of coal and natural gas at Abbott Power Plant and the rest through purchases of electricity from outside sources.
Other emission sources on campus are found in transportation systems and patterns (commuting, fleet, and air-travel),
agricultural emissions from the south farms, water use, solid waste, and other fugitive sources.
University Strategies:
The University of Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) outlines strategies and initiatives for conserving energy; reducing
coal dependence at the Abbott Power Plant by emphasizing a larger role for natural gas in the near term; moving
to renewable energy sources including meeting the State of Illinois’ Renewable Portfolio Standards of a 25 percent
contribution from renewable energy by 2025; implementing the Campus Bicycle Master Plan and improving bicycling
infrastructure; and creating and subsidizing a bike share program and a voluntary carbon registry program to offset air
travel impacts. The plan also sets out strategies for reducing emissions related to agriculture by 50 percent by 2020,
including the installation of a methane capture process, incentivizing sustainable and organic agriculture practices
on campus lands, implementing a bio-fuels initiative to transform agricultural waste into energy, a large scale food
composting project, and several other strategies to meet reduction targets.
The University plan also outlines strategies to conserve potable water and reduce related emissions by 40 percent by
2025; incorporate a no-net increase in space policy for the entire campus; and require all new buildings and major
renovations to be net energy neutral or a net energy provider by 2025. In terms of waste, the University plans to develop
a long-term Zero Waste campus policy and increase waste diversion by 75 percent by 2020. The establishment and use
of a local carbon registry for purchasing local carbon offsets and implementing a sustainable landscape plan are proposed
strategies to enhance carbon sequestration processes. The iCAP can be accessed online through the University’s Office
of Sustainability at http://sustainability.illinois.edu/.
Figure 5. 2008 University of Illinois Carbon Inventory: Baseline Campus Footprint by GHG Emissions Contributors
Source: Reproduced from the UIUC Climate Action Plan (iCAP)
City of Urbana
31