The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is commited to moving beyond coal. Reducing our carbon footprint has been the overarching goal since we signed the American Colleges and Universities Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).  Completing the Climate Action Plan (iCAP) for campus was a major step forward.

The iCAP addresses sustainability in multiple areas, under the auspices of different campus units, and will require a widely coordinated effort to be successful.  To accomplish this, the university needs to understand the methods to make that change and the associated national and state impacts.Therefore, the University is committed to careful consideration of both our energy needs, through the Campus Energy Study, and our energy impact, through Integration with the Curriculum.

Initially, our focus will be on the Campus Energy Study.  When it is finished, we will have a greater understanding of the overall scope of what needs to be done to move beyond coal and how long it will take to accomplish. The plan’s recommendations will be a primary determinant in shaping our implementation process.  We must also take into consideration the Abbott Power Plant capital plan which will include elimination of significant investment to extend the life of the coal plant and implementation of a plan to convert the plant to burn biomass.

Integrating Sustainability in the Curriculum (ISC) is a key component because it promotes student involvement through a living-learning laboratory for experiential learning opportunities.  Our faculty is interested in working with various classes throughout campus to study the impact of our changes on the communities that currently supply our coal.

The Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) will be a primary source for student input in this process, and we look forward to their participation.  The relationship between the SECS and the Sierra Club will be helpful as our campus strives to move beyond coal in the coming years. 

We are proud of the commitment we have made to take the lead in sustainability.  We intend to have the same excellent and timely results with this process as we have achieved in the past.