"Two years ago, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign enthusiastically signed on to the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. We agreed to create institutional structures to guide the development and implementation of strategies that fulfill the commitment. Our Office of Sustainability and Sustainability Council led the effort and completed their task thoroughly and expeditiously. For example, our greenhouse gas inventory was completed in just twelve months.

Now I am pleased to present our completed institutional action plan. This will eventually make the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign carbon neutral for the first time. We believe the following plan provides a realistic framework for these actions. The plan outlines a structure for which more detailed analysis, dialogue, and refinement will take place. In this plan you will find:

• A target date that achieves carbon neutrality as soon as possible
• Interim targets for goals and actions that will lead to carbon neutrality
• Actions that make carbon neutrality and sustainability a part of our overall curriculum and that will lead to a broad set of targeted educational experiences for our students
• Actions to expand research and other efforts necessary to achieve carbon neutrality
• Mechanisms for us to track progress on goals and actions.

We intend our plan to provide a macro-level, carbon neutral vision for the campus with stretch goals and strategies for their achievement. This is just the beginning to a greener future for sustainability on our campus. More detailed plans and micro-level implementation strategies will evolve in numerous ways within our organization in coming months and years.

Our intentions are clear and our goal remains ambitious: to be the model of sustainability for all universities in the nation.

Robert A. Easter
Chancellor and Provost (Interim)
May 15, 2010"