Climate Action

SDSU has committed to operational carbon neutrality by 2040 and full carbon neutrality by 2050. Now that we have completed the Implementation Profile, initial Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and the 2017 Climate Action Plan, we can move campus toward a carbon-free future as we enter the implementation and tracking phase. In 2019, two students (Christi Yip and Victoria Lawless) adapted the UN Habitat Toolkit for City Climate Action Plans for universities. Using this framework, they completed a review of the SDSU Climate Action Plan. Their framework has now been approved for use across the United States.

On March 5th, 2014, President Elliot Hirshman signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. An implementation profile was submitted on June 6th, 2014 and a baseline greenhouse gas inventory was submitted on January 15th, 2016. The Climate Action Plan was approved by President Hirshman on April 27th, 2017. By May 1st every year, SDSU must submit a progress report including a greenhouse gas inventory. The Climate Action Plan must be reviewed and refreshed by May 1st, 2022. SDSU has set an operational carbon neutrality goal of 2040 and a full carbon neutrality goal of 2050.

Status of each of the climate actions identified in the plan are available on the Climate Action Status Spreadsheet.

2017 Climate Action Plan
REsponse to the SDSU climate strike