Updated July 2023
CACS Working Groups
CACS currently has two working groups:
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CACS Working Group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
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CACS Climate Change Resilience Working Group
CACS Working Group on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Purpose
The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS) Working Group on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Sustainability identifies and recommends policies, practices and strategies that elevate and integrate an intersectional approach towards diversity, equity, and inclusivity in campus sustainability initiatives. The group seeks to strengthen the diversity, equity, and inclusion of the UC Berkeley undergraduate, graduate and professional student, faculty, and staff populations contributing to sustainable practices. We develop recommendations, cultivate a sense of belonging in sustainability spaces, and situate environmental and social justice as central pillars of campus sustainability efforts. Efforts span operations/administration, co-curricular learning activities, and physical planning.
Members
The working group includes representatives from the UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability, Parking & Transportation, Student Environmental Resource Center, Basic Needs Center, Rausser College of Natural Resources, African American Student Development Office, Students of Color Environmental Collective, and Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability.
Objectives Areas
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Community Engagement
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Academics
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Campus Departments
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Implementing goals and strategies of campus Sustainability Plan related to DEIJ and environmental justice
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Engaging CACS in on-going initiatives
Resources
CACS Climate Change Resilience Working Group
Background
UC Berkeley is already being impacted by the effects of climate change. Within the Berkeley Area, the key climate impacts expected are wildfire, drought, extreme heat, sea-level rise, and increased storm intensity. In 2022, the Office of Sustainability sponsored the CACS Climate Change Resilience Working group in an effort to take action and ensure safety and security for even our most vulnerable populations. The Climate Change Resilience Working Group is working on updating UC Berkeley’s existing climate vulnerability assessment, developed in 2017, and identifying new ways that campus departments can collaborate towards an equitable, safer, more resilient campus.
Mission & Scope
The CACS Climate Change Resilience Working Group is providing a comprehensive review of ongoing, past, and future efforts to address campus impacts of climate change. The working group’s efforts will inform climate action planning that upholds the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). Through the working group, CACS hopes to develop planning and frameworks for resiliency, with emphasis on cross-department collaboration.
Expected Deliverables
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Comprehensive campus vulnerability assessments for increased storm intensity, longer periods of drought, heat, and fire
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Identifying and exploring the feasibility of mitigation strategies that uphold the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice
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Update the existing 2017 Climate Vulnerability Assessment
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Inclusion of climate change resilience strategies in upcoming update to Climate Action Plan, expected in 2026
Resources
To learn more about CACS Working Groups, email: sustainability@berkeley.edu