Carbon emissions management

The university is obligated under AB 32 to comply with the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) cap-and-trade program.  Currently, five campuses — UC San Diego, UC Los Angeles, UC Irvine, UC San Francisco and UC Davis — and UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento have carbon emissions above the 25,000 mtCO2e threshold established by CARB and are required to hold an allowance for each ton of CO₂e that they emit from onsite combustion of fossil fuels.

The Facilities Management Services office coordinates the components of a cap-and-trade compliance strategy which will fall into one of three categories: financial, operational, and regulatory. Financial compliance activities include developing a compliance strategy, conducting market intelligence, executing trades and procurement of carbon allowances and offsets. Operational activities include identifying and implementing energy infrastructure projects that will reduce the university’s compliance costs by directly reducing its carbon emissions. Regulatory activities include the surrender of allowances, as well as ongoing advocacy before CARB when rule changes are being considered.

• Regulations for the Cap and Trade Program
• Mandatory Reporting Rules for Greenhouse Gas Emissions

To find each campus’s CO2 emissions profile, search the Climate Registry. Note the emissions calculations for the Climate Registry slightly differs from CARB’s calculations.