Uc Irvine Sustainability Uci Sustainability

The University of California, Irvine is committed to sustainable practices that minimize the campus's "ecological footprint" and conserve finite resources for future generations. We strive to engage students, faculty, staff, the community, and other institutions in the pursuit of common solutions to address social, cultural, and economic needs while protecting the beauty and resources of the natural... UC Irvine students stand to make the biggest impact in our society. We continue to face great challenges to our communities and world. Climate change, environmental injustice, poverty, and gender inequity are some of the greatest examples of sustainability challenges. We have a responsibility to each other to advance a culture of sustainability here on campus and in our communities.

Our programs and initiatives provide opportunities to build knowledge and competencies in sustainability. We collaborate across campus and within the community to integrate sustainability for students, staff, faculty, and community members. The SRC is the first touch point for the UCI community to find opportunities in sustainability at UCI and in the surrounding communities. The SRC offers a variety of programs, events, and resources. Check out all sustainability events on campus and in the surrounding communities. Find internships or jobs, and explore sustainability-related career resources.

Policy on Sustainable PracticesOutlines the University’s principles of energy efficiency and sustainability for campus planning, financing, design, construction, renewal, maintenance, operation, space management, facilities utilization, and decommissioning of facilities and infrastructure consistent with budgetary... UC Facilities ManualVolume 2, Planning provides policies and guidelines for the design and construction of UC properties. UC California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) HandbookThe University of California adopted the state CEQA Guidelines and all future state guideline changes on March 17, 1989 (UC CEQA Handbook Appendix A). Thus, every time the State updates the CEQA guidelines, those automatically become UC’s guidelines. California Natural Resources AgencyAims to restore, protect and manage the State’s natural, historical and cultural resources. CEQACEQA is a program that requires public agencies to disclose environmental implications of their actions and mitigate significant adverse environmental effects.

If you are wanting to focus your studies on sustainability specific subjects, UCI hosts multiple offerings for undergraduate and graduate students. The offerings listed below are representative of programs that have multiple sustainability-focused and sustainability-inclusive courses as requirements for degree completion. The planet is heating up, with rising seas, extreme weather, and disrupted ecosystems already affecting millions of lives. Human activity is fueling this crisis, pushing natural systems to their limits. Urgent climate action is essential to protect people, communities, and the planet’s future. UC Irvine acknowledges the role of greenhouse gas emissions in causing climate change and seeks to mitigate those emissions in its own operations.

The Campus Planning & Sustainability Office, along with UCI Health sustainability staff, are leading an effort to update the university’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan or CAAP. This plan will assist us in finding a path to decarbonize the Irvine campus and UCI Health - Orange while also building resilience in response to the effects of climate change that are already... Clouds drape a snow-capped Santiago Peak as seen from the UC Irvine campusphoto: Steve Zylius/UC Irvine In 2023, UC updated the Climate Action section of the Sustainable Practices Policy from one that required the use of carbon offsets to one that centered on decarbonization. UC Irvine is committed to achieving at least a 90% reduction in total emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) by 2045 and prioritizing reductions in Scope 1 emissions. The CAAP, in combination with our Decarbonization Study, will guide us towards achieving that goal.

UC Irvine has a long history of climate leadership and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. While the campus has continued to grow, our greenhouse gas emissions associated with operations has reduced by approximately 10,000 mtCO2e annually. This is largely due to deep energy efficiency programs, on-site solar, all-electric new buildings, and participation in the UC Clean Power program – which now provides 100% carbon free grid-imported power. We don’t just talk about sustainability - we take action. Check out some of the ways we're reducing our environmental impact and creating a positive impact on our community. The Irvine Green Business Certification demonstrates that we conduct our business using strategies that improve employee wellness and productivity, energy savings, water efficiency, resource stewardship, and reduce CO2 emissions.

As of April 24th, 2018, UC Irvine has become certified as a Fair Trade University. Fair Trade is an economic system that ensures consumers purchase products that support hard-working farmers who grow the goods we love, like coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas, and more. For the year 2025, UC Irvine achieved a Gold Rating in AASHE Stars. To support this designation, we prioritized the sustainability assessment standards by serving climate-friendly, plant-based menu options, improving waste reduction strategies, and increasing local purchasing efforts. UC Irvine Dining was awarded the first-place prize of the Green Events category for the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition. We highlighted an expanded version of our Wiping Out Waste event, during which we tracked food waste data, plus landfill and recycling waste streams.

The ranked category was determined by measuring and reporting the amounts of food organics, landfill trash, and recyclable items collected during the event. Climate action has never been more important than today. Addressing climate change is not merely a response to the environmental challenge, but a global imperative to protect our collective health and well-being. Climate change is altering long-term climate conditions as well as causing widespread and intensifying extreme weather events worldwide, including in California, such as frequent extreme heat events, persistent droughts, raging wildfires, damaging floods, and... In the wake of the LA wildfires, we are all being asked: what do we do to prepare and how do we adapt? These climate hazards are causing a wide range of impacts on human physical and mental health, livelihoods, well-being, and day-to-day life; however, not everyone is being impacted equally.

Marginalized and vulnerable groups are often shouldering a disproportionate burden of climate impacts. Climate change serves as a risk multiplier, intensifying existing disparities and influencing the social and environmental factors that affect human well-being. By planning for climate resilience, UC Irvine, UC Irvine Health, and the UC system, can help protect the health and well-being of our community - students, staff, faculty, patients, and visitors, and ensure they... Recognizing the imperative to act on climate change through mitigation, adaptation and incorporating social equity principles, UCI is committed to continuing to be a leader in climate action, upholding the University of California’s goals... Better preparedness for future climate extremes and hazards protects health and helps avoid damage and cost of remediation. Welcome to the Sustainability Corner!

The Office of Campus Planning & Sustainability works in collaboration with several campus departments to implement, monitor, and strengthen UCI’s sustainable operations. These operations make up the daily lives of staff, students, and faculty – they are what keeps our buildings and open spaces functioning, what helps to conserve our fragile resources, and what inspires our... This page serves to provide greater insight into UCI’s sustainable practices, programming, and ongoing efforts. UC Irvine received a STARS Gold rating for sustainability from AASHE, recognizing its leadership in green practices like waste reduction, sustainable curricula, and energy-efficient buildings. The university continues to advance its legacy with innovative, eco-friendly projects. Aldrich Park sees rejuvenation through reforestation.

The campus’s restoration program emphasizes the installation of long-lived native plants and other shade trees, intending to increase the diversity and long-term health of our urban forest while providing increased habitat for pollinators and... Climate action has never been more important than today. Addressing climate change is not merely a response to the environmental challenge, but a global imperative to protect our collective health and well-being. UC Irvine Campus Planning & Sustainability Green buildings, waste diversion, alternative transportation and community outreach cited Irvine, Calif., June 5, 2025 —The University of California, Irvine has earned a STARS Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, upholding...

With over 1,200 participants in 52 countries, the AASHE STARS program is a globally recognized framework for publicly documenting the sustainability performance of colleges and universities. Institutions submit achievements in five sectors: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership. Since 2013, UC Irvine has consistently earned top marks from the AASHE STARS program. Continuing that legacy, this year’s Gold rating highlights the university’s ongoing commitment to expanding upon campus sustainability initiatives and practices. “At the academic, operational and student levels, we emphasize the importance of being sustainable,” said R. Umashankar, executive director of Campus Planning & Sustainability.

“When people come to campus, it’s important that they see sustainable habits and behavior being prioritized at all levels.”

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