UC Santa Cruz Sets 2045 Goals - Smart Energy Decisions

Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  February 12, 2025

UC Santa Cruz Sets 2045 Goals

The University of California, Santa Cruz has set a goal to lower its emissions by 90% by 2045.

The deadline was chosen due to recommendations from the Decarbonization and Electrification (D&E) team, according to a statement.  

“The decarbonization and electrification of our campus is a priority and vital to not only UC Santa Cruz, but to the entire University of California system,” said Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Lori Kletzer said at the Decarbonization & Electifiction Town Hall meeting. “We are fortunate that our campus communities -  made up of students, faculty, and staff - are so committed to the work of sustainability and transformation.”

In 2024, the university changed its Sustainable Practices Policy to stop purchasing carbon offsets and instead focus on lowering emissions at the campus. 

The university announced its interim targets include a 5% reduction by 2030, 16% by 2035, and 85% by 2040. The Decarbonization & Electrification Predesign Report sets out a “nodal” approach the university will use to decarbonize college pairs one at a time while working to close the university’s cogeneration power plant by 2040.

During the past two years, the university also finished its decarbonization pre-design report, examined financial opportunities to implement them, and shifted many natural gas (methane) purchases over to electric substitutes. 

The campus also switched from using natural gas as the source for heat for new buildings and large renovations. Instead, the university is using carbon-free electricity to power buildings through the UC’s Clean Power Program, which has achieved an annual third-party-verified emission intensity of zero pounds of CO2 equivalent per megawatt hour since 2019. 


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