Sustainability and Climate Action Plan
The Sustainability and Climate Action Plan is the implementation plan for the first four goals of the Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resilience section of UCSC’s Leading the Change Strategic Plan. Through an intensive stakeholder engagement process during the Leading the Change process and subsequent key partner engagements during the development of the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, strategies are identified for each goal. When worked on over the next 5 years, these strategies will make meaningful progress towards achieving the ambitious Leading the Change goals. Each year new priority initiatives are developed based on progress from the previous year and new efforts to operationalize the strategies of the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. Each fall, a progress report will share the results of the previous academic year’s priority initiatives to keep the campus community informed and publish new priority initiatives for the upcoming year.
Governance
The Sustainability and Climate Action Plan is overseen by a governance committee comprised of staff, faculty, and students who are integral to the success of the plan.
More details to come shortly.
Disclaimer
The UC Santa Cruz Sustainability & Climate Action Plan (S&CAP), prepared consistent with the UC Sustainable Practices Policy, and the associated Decarbonization & Electrification Plan are not legally binding and do not commit the University to the implementation of any specific greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measure or related development project, and as such are not “projects” as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). To the extent such studies and plans could be construed as a “project” under CEQA, they are exempt from CEQA as planning and feasibility studies. In addition to facilitating the reduction of UC-related GHGs, S&CAPs are intended to serve as a guide to achieving the campus’ broad climate goals, including in the areas of resilience, transportation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Long Range Development Plans (LRDPs) are comprehensive land use plans that guide the siting and development of buildings and infrastructure needed to support a projected campus population levels through a defined horizon year. Pursuant to CEQA Statute 21080.09, Environmental Impact Reports are prepared to evaluate the environmental effects of LRDPs and thereby satisfy the requirements of CEQA for general development and population growth of a particular campus or medical center. The specific GHG reduction measures and the environmental effects of related projects identified in S&CAPs are generally incorporated into LRDP EIRs and any subsequent tiered document pursuant to CEQA. All University projects, whether or not they are evaluated in a LRDP EIR remain subject to environmental review pursuant to CEQA at the time of project approval.