In November 2021, in response to faculty interest in university climate action, President Hartzell sent a letter refreshing the charge to the President's Sustainability Steering Committee (PSSC) to "review our campus emissions inventory and suggest a reasonable timeline to provide recommendations on further emissions strategies that account for technical and financial feasibility, as well as opportunities to reinforce our educational mission." Read the full letter here.
Greenhouse Gas Inventory
The Office of Sustainability collaborates with on-campus and off-campus entities in data collection and methodology review to maintain the UT Austin Greenhouse Gas Inventory. The Office conducted the first UT Austin Greenhouse Gas Inventory in 2009. The Office primarily uses the SIMAP platform which estimates several greenhouse gases. The only source the Office does not track in SIMAP is the Scope 3 ‘supply chain’ area which is estimated using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 3 Evaluator. The 2024 Greenhouse Gas Inventory can be viewed here.
Student Opportunities
Several student organizations are focused on campus emissions and related issues including:
- Climate and Meteorology Society
- IEEE Power and Energy Society
- The Negative Emissions Technology (NET) Project
- Longhorn Energy Club
- Student Goverment
- Students Fighting Climate Change
- Sustainability Investment Group
Academics and Research
A Bridging Barriers Grand Challenge, Planet Texas 2050 is conducting new research, launching educational programs, and partnering with organizations and community groups throughout the state to address the most urgent issues affecting our region. Planet Texas 2050 researchers are committed to developing programs and policy recommendations that will improve Texas’ adaptability and build its resilience. To do that, their work will focus on understanding the interconnectedness of four critical resource systems: water, energy, urbanization, and ecosystem services.
