Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The University of California awarded $1 million for climate-related innovation and entrepreneurship<\/a> to each UC campus, as well as the UC Health system, the UC statewide division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the statewide UC Natural Reserve System, and the UC-affiliated Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley national laboratories. These funds were made possible by a $185 million investment by the state of California in partnership with the University<\/a> to encourage applied research and innovation to meet California\u2019s climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2023, the University of California Research Initiatives<\/a>, through Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives<\/a> awards, made $6.5 million in new investments in multicampus and systemwide research projects tackling climate, energy and equity. Highlights from these investments include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n UC Research and Innovation<\/a> spearheaded the establishment of the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems<\/a>, California\u2019s public-private hydrogen hub consortium to accelerate the development and deployment of clean, renewable hydrogen projects and infrastructure. Clean hydrogen can supplement renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance a zero-carbon economy. The U.S. Department of Energy<\/a> will award $8 billion to as many as 10 regional hubs to build self-sustaining hydrogen economies of producers, infrastructure and users. In partnership with the Governor\u2019s Office of Business and Economic Development, UC Research and Innovation convened key public and private stakeholders to build the framework for a California clean hydrogen hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CalTestBed<\/a> is the nation\u2019s largest ecosystem of test bed facilities for clean energy entrepreneurs. Since CalTestBed\u2019s inception in 2019, UC Research and Innovation has partnered closely with program administrator New Energy Nexus and with UC and LBNL testing facilities to advance the commercialization of California’s clean energy technology. Funded by the California Energy Commission, CalTestBed will provide $16.7 million in vouchers to clean energy innovators to test their proposed technology at one of more than 70 unique facilities and labs across the UC system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UC Natural Reserve System (NRS) received $1 million from the state of California to seed climate-focused entrepreneurial efforts as part of an $80 million award to UCOP to support climate innovation research. The NRS Climate Awards will support five projects providing applied solutions to California\u2019s pressing climate needs: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Systemwide courses relating to climate change and sustainability continued to grow and scale in fiscal year 2022\u201323. The UC Global Climate Leadership Council<\/a> supported the ongoing expansion of the Bending the Curve<\/a> course platform with topics on resilience, adaptation and climate justice, with more than 4,300 enrollees at UC and institutions around the world through the spring 2023 term. The open-access Bending the Curve Digital Textbook<\/a>, a companion to the course, was downloaded over 22,000 times through fiscal year 2022\u201323. Additionally, the Center for Climate Justice<\/a> began updating and expanding its systemwide climate justice course in response to emerging developments in the field as well as growing interest in climate justice education and career opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The University of California\u2019s environmental sustainability goals are rooted in student activism, beginning 20 years ago when students encouraged the Regents to approve UC\u2019s first green building and clean energy policy, which they did in 2003. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The UC Office of the President oversees the Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Student Fellowship<\/a> and Global Food Initiative (GFI) Student Fellowship<\/a> programs, which fund student-generated research and engagement projects across all UC campuses, academic health centers, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the UC Office of the President. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bonnie Reiss Climate Action fellows engage their peers in local and systemwide climate action and conduct innovative research to advance climate solutions. In fiscal year 2022\u201323, fellows focused on climate resilience, decarbonization, and climate and environmental justice. The fellows helped pursue a fossil-free UC through projects such as analyzing energy storage needs, conducting cost-benefit analyses on different clean energy technologies and researching strategies to support the decarbonization plans being developed at their campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n annual fellows in 2022\u201323<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n total fellows since 2014<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n annual fellows in 2022\u201323<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n total fellows since 2014<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n The University of California\u2019s Academic Senate<\/a> carries out shared governance responsibilities established by the Regents and relating to academic matters. Academic Senate divisions continue to advance climate action and education, as the highlights below illustrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A 2022 memorial<\/a> petitioning the Regents for investments in UC\u2019s infrastructure to reduce on-campus fossil fuel combustion prompted the formation of the Pathways to a Fossil Free UC Task Force<\/a> by President Drake. The task force, which includes the Academic Senate chair and vice chair, is responsible for developing recommendations on the necessary steps and a timeline to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in each location\u2019s energy systems and to strengthen UC\u2019s climate action policy goals, informed by the findings of state-funded decarbonization studies at each campus and academic health center. The leadership of the ad hoc systemwide Senate Climate Crisis Task Force helped ensure involvement of local senate representatives in the decarbonization studies and co-executive sponsorship of the studies by divisional senate leaders.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n In its review of proposed revisions to the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices, the senate applauded the University\u2019s efforts to advance climate neutrality goals but also urged UC to move more quickly and proactively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to shift its focus and effort away from climate neutrality goals to decarbonization goals, and to implement the fossil fuel reduction targets in the Academic Senate Memorial on Reducing Fossil Fuel Combustion<\/a>. The senate\u2019s recommendations were reflected in the updated policy published in July 2023<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n Academic Senate divisions advocated for climate leadership and provided input on plans to reduce carbon emissions in campus facilities, transportation, clinical work and academic travel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some additional notable campus-level senate climate crisis committee activities include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo credit: Sierra Streit, students at wind farm<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The University of California is at the forefront of understanding the climate crisis and implementing practical solutions to global climate disruption and other sustainability challenges through research, teaching and public service. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":235,"parent":0,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-86","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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![\"UC](\"https:\/\/sustainabilityreport.ucop.edu\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/Uc_Academics_Research-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nUC Natural Reserve System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"An](\"https:\/\/sustainabilityreport.ucop.edu\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/10\/Uc_Academics_NaturalReserve2-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEducation <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Group](\"https:\/\/sustainabilityreport.ucop.edu\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/Uc_Academics_Education-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nStudents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Students](\"https:\/\/sustainabilityreport.ucop.edu\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/Uc_Academics_Infographic_Climate.jpg\")
<\/div>Climate Action Fellows<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
Global Food Initiative Fellows<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Sustainability](\"https:\/\/sustainabilityreport.ucop.edu\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/Uc_Academics_Infographic_Food.jpg\")
<\/div>Academic Senate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"UC](\"https:\/\/sustainabilityreport.ucop.edu\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/Uc_Academics_Senate-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSponsorship of State-Funded Campus Decarbonization Studies<\/summary>\n
Review of Policy on Sustainable Practices<\/summary>\n
Campus-Level Senate Climate Crisis Committee Accomplishments<\/summary>\n
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