Climate Commitment Action Plan 2024
Overview
UIC has been a leader in sustainability in higher education for nearly 15 years.
The university adopted its first Climate Action Plan in 2009 and followed with related policies. These strategies were combined in 2018 with an added emphasis on the importance of implementation. The result was UIC’s 2018 Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP). The 2018 CAIP predicted the need to update and revise the plan every five years to employ SMART goals, engage stakeholders and develop an actionable roadmap to achieve UIC's climate commitments by 2050.
Planning, Sustainability and Project Management (PSPM) began this task in 2023. Many important aspects of sustainability have emerged since 2018, including a broader societal recognition of the importance of racial and environmental justice when considering solutions to the climate crisis.
Read more to learn about how you can help UIC take meaningful steps to achieve its climate commitment goals.
CCAP 2024 Initial Recommendations
CCAP 2024 March Town Hall Recording
Project mission statement Heading link
The updated Climate Commitment Action Plan (CCAP 2024) will be the University of Illinois Chicago’s roadmap to achieving a just climate future for our campus, city and beyond. It will be developed through an equitable and inclusive process, leveraging both the university’s Strategic Priorities and its unique position to advance climate action.
Therefore, the plan must:
- Lead with Action. Establish clear policies, funding, and accountability for embedding climate action throughout the institution. Set clear expectations, including guidance on an achievable timeline, realistic financial implications, and clearly outline roles and responsibilities. Align operations with the chancellor’s five climate commitments to become a carbon-neutral, zero waste, net zero water, biodiverse and transformative scholarship university.
- Inspire Commitment. Ensure that addressing the climate crisis is a top and lasting priority for the University of Illinois Chicago in terms of research, teaching, operations and culture.
- Transform Scholarship. Embed climate action teaching, learning, and research throughout the university.
Get involved Heading link
As part of this process, PSPM is seeking input and feedback from across the university community and beyond. It is critical that decisions on which metrics to include and how to measure success are made with input that accurately represents UIC’s diverse campus and helps bring many voices to the project.
There are many ways to get involved:
- Watch the recording of the October 11 Town Hall to learn more about what’s being planned. Focus groups and additional public forums will be scheduled in the coming months.
- Participate in the Climate Commitment Action Plan 2024 Survey to help prioritize the approach UIC takes when creating this update.
- Share your ideas, comments or feedback or willingness to get involved by submitting the CCAP 2024 online form at any time during the planning process.
Process roadmap Heading link
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Information gathering
Timeline: Summer through Fall 2023
Activities:
- Quantitative and qualitative data collection.
- Solicitation of feedback from faculty, staff, and students using the CCAP 2024 Survey.
- Establishment of a formal engagement structure for decision-making, including the existing Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy, associated sub-committees and new, topic-specific focus groups.
- Host informational and educational CCAP 2024 Town Hall to launch the project with the campus community.
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Plan development
Timeline: Fall 2023
Activities:
- Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy sub-committees and focus groups meet to discuss and make recommendations to incorporate into the CCAP 2024.
- Final recommendations are shared with CCAP 2024 Planning Team members for review and consolidation.
- Modeling and scenario testing of each recommendation will take place to ensure the draft plan is specific to the unique circumstances at UIC, achievable and financially viable.
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Plan socialization/finalization
Timeline: Winter 2023
Activities:
- Socialization of CCAP 2024 with faculty, staff, and students and opportunities for these groups to provide feedback.
- Review and approval of CCAP 2024 recommendations by the Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy and UIC executive leadership.
- CCAP 2024 is published.