OS Projects

Office Work

To fulfill our mission, the Office of Sustainability provides direction for campus sustainability standards, pathways to institutionalize sustainable practices into campus administration and operations and engages the community in sustainable change.

This work includes:

• innovating sustainability through cutting-edge initiatives

• planning and developing long- and short-range plans and policies 

• integrating those plans/policies with campus capital, operational, and physical planning efforts 

• providing high quality advice at all levels of the organization to advance sustainability broadly across campus 

• managing advisory committees

• developing metrics and evaluation

• coordinating with the academic community to integrate sustainability into the curriculum

• providing learning opportunities for students

• fostering an inclusive culture of sustainability among students, faculty, and staff. 

Highlights of current efforts

Decarbonization Projects & Programs

Clean Energy Campus

The Office is co-leading the Clean Energy Campus initiative - a set of projects that will transform the Berkeley campus into an electrified and renewable energy microgrid that will largely eliminate fossil fuel combustion and related on-campus carbon emissions. The campus’s goal is to have significant portions of the new system operational by 2028 and be substantially complete by 2031. Learn more.

Solar Powering Cal

The Office of Sustainability has led the installation of 1.3 megawatts of on-site solar and is increasing efforts  to more than triple this solar energy yield. A number of the new installations will have solar PV and include battery storage for power demand management and resiliency. Learn more.

Business Air Travel Carbon Mitigation Program 

The Office of Sustainability worked in partnership with the travel office, IT and campus financial groups to launch the UC Berkeley Business Air Travel Carbon Mitigation Program. This program mitigates the high environmental impacts of UC Berkeley’s business air travel by assessing a small fee for air trips, building a fund for campus projects that reduce our carbon footprint. Learn more.

Planning, Reporting & Policy

Sustainability Plan & Reporting

Produced and stewarded by the Office, the 2020 Campus Sustainability Plan outlines  a wide-range of interwoven goals and strategies that include UC systemwide policies and UC Berkeley targets. The Office reports on numerous related metrics annually, including a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Learn more

Performance with STARS

Every three years UC Berkeley undergoes a self-initiated review to measure the campus’s sustainability performance. In its 2021 submission, UC Berkeley earned a Platinum rating, the highest rating available in the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). STARS is a comprehensive sustainability rating system for colleges and universities that addresses the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Learn more

Consults, Partnerships & Global Alliances

The Office provides internal consultancy with departments and units across campus to advance sustainability. An example of current built environment consultancy partnerships include working with Facilities Services on updates to the campus design standard, and preparing the LEED manager site agreement with the physical and environmental planning group.The Office’s efficacy is inextricably connected to the relationships and partnerships with the campus community. See the Engagesection to get a sense of these links.

The Office aims to increase UC Berkeley's global leadership through participation in various international initiatives and groups. One long standing affiliation is the Office’s membership in the sustainability group of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU). The Office is also an active member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and of Second Nature.

Community & Engagement

Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability

Established in 2003, the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS) promotes environmental management and sustainable development on campus.  The Office manages CACS, and membership is drawn from faculty, staff, students and alumni. Meetings are open to everyone. Learn more

Sustainability Training & Workshops 

The Sustainability Staff Training is composed of ten comprehensive, self-paced modules that cover environmental, social and economic sustainability. and offer learners a self-paced learning experience that includes a snapshot of UC and UC Berkeley’s unique approaches. Learn more

The Office, in partnership with faculty from across campus disciplines, offers annual workshops to support and incentivize other faculty to integrate the sustainability concepts into courses. See the 2022 workshop flyer