Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy
The Chancellor's Committee on Sustainability and Energy (CCSE) recommends university policies and initiatives that realize the goals of the UIC Climate Commitments via the Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP). These recommendations are finalized by each subcommittee after synthesizing input from the UIC community.
The CCSE is co-chaired by PSPM's Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Sustainability and the Director of the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy. Each subcommittee is co-chaired by a faculty member and staff member with expertise and/or responsibilities for programs affected by the related CAIP strategies.
Contact us if you want to learn more or participate on UIC's CCSE.
CCSE Subcommittees Heading link
The CCSE consists of six subcommittees:
- Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure
- Education and Research
- Renewable Energy and Resource Conservation
- Resilience
- Transportation
- Zero Waste
Members of each of the CCSE subcommittees are made up of staff with direct responsibility for implementation of the Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP) goals, faculty subject matter experts, students from the Sustainability Fund committee, and other interested students. Up to 10 faculty and staff have been appointed by the Chancellor to the subcommittees.
Each CCSE subcommittee holds regular public meetings to harness the collective power of the knowledge and enthusiasm of the broader campus community. Please contact us to learn more or to participate on a CCSE subcommittee.
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The CCSE Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure (formerly Grounds) subcommittee makes recommendations on policies that guide the management and maintenance of UIC’s landscape and non-building facilities, including the care of trees on campus (UIC Tree Care Plan), native plants and pollinators (Campus Pollinator Habitat Plan), as well as management of stormwater (Green Stormwater Infrastructure Implementation Plan).
The Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure subcommittee works on the implementation of the majority Strategy 4.0 of the CAIP: Natural Systems and Ecosystem Services.
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The CCSE Education and Research subcommittee recommends a campus-level commitment to strategically integrate sustainability themes into the undergraduate curriculum using two sets of recommendations; those from the UIC Climate Commitments and those from “To Green and Beyond: Excellence Through Sustainability at UIC”.
The Education & Research subcommittee works on the implementation of Strategy 6.0 of the CAIP: Teaching & Learning.
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The CCSE Renewable Energy and Resource Conservation subcommittee focuses on initiatives including energy efficiency and conservation projects, renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction from electricity and co-generation activities. This also includes water conservation and green building policies.
The Renewable Energy and Resource Conservation subcommittee works on the implementation of CAIP Strategy 1.0: Energy Efficiency and Conservation, CAIP Strategy 2.0: Clean and Renewable Energy Sources, and the water conservation section of CAIP Strategy 4.0: Natural Systems and Ecosystem Services.
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The Resilience subcommittee works on solutions that increase climate resiliency and climate justice for the campus and community in areas of ecosystem services, infrastructure, social equity and governance, health and wellness, economy, and emergency preparedness.
The Resilience subcommittee works on the implementation of CAIP Strategy 7.0: Climate Resilience.
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The CCSE Transportation subcommittee examines transportation on and to/from campus – including air travel for university business, develops transportation policies, and monitors progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the campus fleet and through commuting patterns.
The CCSE Transportation subcommittee works on the implementation of Strategy 3.0 of the CAIP: Reduced Transportation-Related Emissions.
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The CCSE Zero Waste (formerly Sustainable Materials) subcommittee looks at UIC’s recycling and waste management programs including general recycling, composting, construction and special and hazardous waste. It recommends processes and programs to reduce waste volume and increase recycling rates as well as developing policies to include sustainable materials in UIC’s purchasing policies.
The CCSE Zero Waste subcommittee works on the implementation of Strategy 5.0 of the CAIP: Sustainable Materials and Reduced Waste Streams.