GHG Emissions  -  April 5, 2021

UNC Asheville target carbon neutrality by 2050

The University of North Carolina at Asheville has committed to going carbon neutral by 2050. As  part of the institution's Greenfest festival - which included social distancing and masks - UNCA's Chancellor Nancy Cable signed the Carbon Commitment, noting that only 400 U.S. colleges and universities have done so to date.

A report by the Citizen Times said the school has already committed to undertaking an annual inventory of GHG emissions across campus. The next step will be to develop a climate action plan. Emissions reduction is expected to come through behavior changes and technology; carbon offsets may also be used.  

“We already have a good track record with sustainability on campus. Compared to the rest of the UNC system (which has 17 universities), our school is more efficient per square foot in our buildings already,” said Alison Ormsby, interim co-director of sustainability and lecturer in environmental studies.

UNCA also led the way in divesting from fossil fuel, in 2019 becoming the first university in the UNC system to do so. The UNC Asheville Board of Trustees voted to divest 10% of its $50 million endowment from fossil fuels, making a commitment to reduce the university’s reliance on the oil, gas, and coal extracting industry.