University of California, Irvine
PAE-20: Inter-Campus Collaboration on Sustainability

UC IRVINE
UCI serves in a leadership role with Second Nature/American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) to promote communication and education on Climate solutions. This includes serving on two subcommittees and authoring a column in the ACUPCC Implementer online newsletter, providing advice to US campuses on Climate Action Plan implementation. http://www2.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/pcc/newsletter/031.html

UCI developed and implemented the “Smart Lab” program for green building design and energy efficiency in university laboratory buildings demonstrating laboratory energy use reduction of 50%. This concept has shared with numerous campuses worldwide including a presentation at the APPA National Conference, Labs 21 National Conference, Tradeline Conference, and has been the subject of best practices site visits by staff from multiple universities in the US, Asia, and the Middle East.

UC IRVINE EXTENSION
Under the banner of ASG University Partners, UC Irvine Extension is currently collaborating with the University of Washington, University of British Columbia and Northwestern University to deliver a Certificate in Decision Making for Climate Change. Each university delivers a program topic and a joint certificate is issued upon completion of the program.

Brief Summary of courses delivered:
Strategic Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change: Addresses strategic planning for adapting to and minimizing climate change. Topics include scenario building; mapping climate change to major sectors; understanding the long-term lifecycle planning process; cost analysis; risk assessment; health, safety and equity issues; plan establishment and implementation; and evaluating effectiveness of the adaptation response. Presented by University of Washington

Climate Literacy: Introduction to the factors influencing climate including interactions among the atmosphere, oceans, solid earth, and biosphere. Addresses the causes of global warming; greenhouse gases; physical carbon flows and their measurement; the carbon cycle; climate modeling; and social impacts of climate change. Presented by University of British Columbia

Decision Making in Climate Change: Making an impact in sustainability leadership requires systems thinking and a life cycle approach that can overlay every major business decision, bringing vision and knowledge, integrating corporate profitability with responsible actions that produce social value, and ensuring that goals and objectives of a sustainability initiative reflect the core values of the organization. The course will also provide an overview of the LEED system for sustainable construction; examine traditional professional and contract liabilities and how these liabilities and associated risks may be expected to play out in the new arena of sustainability. Presented by the University of California, Irvine

Policy Responses and Options: Study of existing government policies such as the Kyoto Accord; the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (ETS); the approaches of less developed nations such as China and India; and local approaches in the U.S. Presents market-based and economy-wide options for reducing carbon in the atmosphere plus use of renewable energy innovations, efficiency standards, and green forest practices. Presented by Northwestern University

See:
https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/Big10EnvStew/Big+Ten+Environmental+Stewardship http://www.asguniversitypartners.org/
http://www.asguniversitypartners.org/programs.asp
http://unex.uci.edu/certificates/sustainability/climate/

National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) - UCI serves on the Sustainability Advisory Panel for the which provides national leadership, information resources, and training to campus business officers on a full range of sustainability topics.

www.nacubo.org/About_NACUBO/Volunteer_Leadership/Presidential_Councils/Sustainability_Advisory_Panel.html

Second Nature/American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) – Board member and committee member.

Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA).

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

US Green Building Council (USGBC)

Universities:
University of California System
University of Wisconsin
University of Washington
University of British Columbia
Northwestern University

UCI Chair’s the University of California Climate Solutions Steering Group that is responsible for implementation of large scale climate action planning, metrics, project identification, and implementation strategies for the 10-campus University of California System.

Big 10 Environmental Stewardship program – UCI staff are leading a workshop for the Big 10 Universities to share UCI practices in energy efficiency, and green laboratory building design with Midwestern campuses.

UC Irvine hosts best practices site visits from multiple US and international colleges and universities on a variety of sustainability topics.

UCI staff share best practices, present papers and lead multiple presentations, panel discussions and workshops at professional conferences involving sustainability and green energy including ACUPCC, California Higher Education Sustainability Conference, NACUBO, and APPA

The Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUSE) has chosen the Decision Making for Climate Change certificate as a winner of the 2011 Program Excellence Award.