Sustainability Annual Report 2024
In fiscal year 2024, UCSF focused on preparing a decarbonization study to achieve a 90% reduction of carbon emissions from 2019 levels by 2045.
The campus engaged two consultants to provide recommendations on the timeline and costs of emissions reduction strategies while addressing equity, analyzing gaps to conduct climate action planning and promoting a living lab. The Fossil Free Governance Committee, led by Senior Vice Chancellor Erin Gore, supported the study activities and engagement. The results were presented to the UCSF community in a town hall.
Read More about Sustainability at UC San Francisco
Sustainability work was driven in many areas across the campus and health enterprise. These efforts included the following: the Academic Senate’s theme year on sustainability; the Academic Senate Committee on Sustainability’s focus on academic travel, commuting, learning, communication, electrification and medical waste; the Center for Climate Health and Equity‘s presentation on climate and health at COP28; the Department of Radiology‘s focus on reducing energy use of MRIs; the Division of Occupational, Environmental, and Climate Medicine‘s focus on environmental respiratory disease; and UCSF Health‘s focus on reducing perioperative waste and emissions.
Last, the Office of Sustainability had an active year focused on sustainability activities around reducing carbon emissions, such as a $3 million incentive to convert to Energy Star ultra-low-temperature freezers and a $60,000 City and County of San Francisco grant to educate pregnant patients on reducing exposure to fossil fuel-derived endocrine disrupting chemicals. The office engaged 3,282 participants through 43 events and six certifications, with an additional 43,075 web page views.
Stories
Sustainability Stewards Recognized With Rewards
June 6 was the sustainability party of the year! There was a photo booth, a gong, awesome pins, stickers, branded Mason jars—to avoid single-use cups—and even a DJ. Seven sustainability awardees were recognized by the Chancellor.
Climate and Health Education
UC San Francisco, UC Davis and Stanford held the fourth annual NorCal Symposium on Climate and Health. The virtual event was led by UCSF to focus on the critical challenge climate change presents to medical education, as future medical professionals will be tasked with treating patients and managing health care systems in a constantly changing […]
EMISSIONS
*Interim goals for 2030, 2035 and 2040 to be developed through fossil-free planning that is underway at each location
**90% direct reduction of total emissions from 2019 levels with residual emissions negated by carbon removal
Despite removing an older building, natural gas usage increased in calendar year 2023 with two buildings coming online. Elimination of central distribution piping for nitrous oxide at three hospital locations resulted in a decrease in the associated carbon emissions by 50%. Commute emissions decreased by 30% due to increased use of electric vehicles and public transit use, yet business travel increased 49%. This resulted in a net decrease in scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 6% from the prior year.
ENERGY – RENEWABLE ENERGY USE
ENERGY USE INTENSITY (EUI)
UCSF saw an increase in its EUI in the calendar year 2023.
FOOD
of food and beverage purchases met sustainability criteria ($335K)
of food and beverage purchases were plant-based ($289K)
UCSF does not have its own dining operations, so sustainable food spend data is from third-party lessees. Of the reporting lessees, UCSF ’s overall sustainable spend percentage and overall spend totals decreased in fiscal year 2023–24. The campus’s overall sustainable spend was affected by the data from Subway (they did not report data the prior year). The overall spend totals were less due to some tenants choosing not to report their spend (Panda Express, Caffe Central at Mission Bay).
Green building
Seven new building projects were in design or construction in fiscal year 2024 and seeking green building certification: ParkSmart certification for the Illinois Street Garage, LEED for Healthcare certification for the Helen Diller Hospital at Parnassus Heights; LEED New Building certification for the Bakar Research Academic Building; LEED New Building certification for the Bayfront Medical Building; LEED Interiors certification for the Peninsula Outpatient Clinic; LEED New Building certification for Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; and LEED New Building certification for Benioff Children’s Oakland Administrative Support Building.
15 Gold, 6 Silver and 5 Certified
Total number of LEED certifications
procurement
green spend on electronics (76%)
green spend on indoor office furniture (68%)
green spend on cleaning supplies (45%)
green spend on office supplies (27%)
The University reports on green spend, as defined in the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, and reached out to suppliers for spend data in four product categories for this year’s report.
Green spend is defined as meeting preferred or minimum criteria in UC’s Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
Suppliers reporting: Electronics (6), Furniture (5), Cleaning supplies (3), Office supplies (4).
UC Systemwide Spend Analytics category data provided by CalUSource.
Sustainable Building & Laboratory Operations
Four labs received Green Labs certification. The UCSF Green Lab program launched tabling efforts to engage the campus community. Additionally, the ultra-low-temperature freezer rebate, provided to principal investigators for replacing old non-Energy Star units with new Energy Star freezers, increased from $4,500 to $10,000.
total assessed green laboratories
Transportation
of students and employees are utilizing sustainable commuting methods
of all vehicles and 0% of sedans and minivans acquired in 2024 were electric (zero-emission), plug-in hybrid or clean transportation fuel
EV charging ports
This year’s commuter survey revealed that 72% of students, staff and faculty used sustainable commute modes. Remote and off-site work continued to decrease from 2020 levels, while rates for commuting via public transit, the UCSF shuttle and walking increased. Drive-alone rates trended down after a spike in 2022. Transportation demand management programs contributed to the increased rate of commuting without a car and the decreased rate of single-occupancy-vehicle (SOV) use. Approximately 20% of SOVs were zero emission and hybrid vehicles.
WATER
*Based on a 3-year average of fiscal years 2005-08
**2025 goal is a 36% reduction from baseline.
New urinals and steam traps installed in fiscal year 2023 resulted in lower water use in fiscal year 2024. In addition, two small lawns at Mission Bay campus were replaced with kurapia, a drought-resistant ground cover, reducing irrigation by 60%.
ZERO WASTE – GENERATION
*These numbers might include a small amount of incineration that is being phased out.
Between fiscal year 2022–23 and 2023–24, landfill waste increased by more than 268 tons, organics increased by over 280 tons and recycling dropped by nearly 16 tons. The increase in landfill tonnage was due to new buildings being opened and many departments moving. UCSF’s logistics department, which manages moves and decants, generated 50 tons more landfill than last year.
ZERO WASTE – DIVERsion
* Waste incineration was counted as diversion prior to July 2022.
UCSF’s diversion rate excluding construction and demolition (C&D) dropped from 73% to 70%. The increase of landfill tonnage combined with the decrease in the recycling rate led to this change. When including construction and demolition, the diversion rate jumped to 90%, largely due to large volumes of diverted C&D from the construction of a new hospital.
Single-Use Plastics Phase-Out
Complete Phase-out*
- Plastic bags
- Beverage bottles in vending machines
Partial Phase-out
- Foodware in UC dining facilities
- Foodware in third-party dining facilities
- Beverage bottles in UC dining facilities
Starting Soon
- N/A
*Complete phase-out of single-use plastics may include exemptions where reasonable alternatives to plastic do not exist.
UCSF has completely phased out plastic bags and plastic bottles in beverage machines. UCSF Retail Services is working with the retail vendors on campus to eliminate their existing stock of single-use plastics.
Awards
In fiscal year 2024, UCSF received four awards. The University was recognized as a Best Workplace for Commuters by the Center for Urban Transportation Research. Additionally, UCSF earned three Focus on Efficiency Awards from the California Higher Education Collaborative for ultra-low-temperature freezer efficiency, building management systems advanced alarm management and the power mix dashboard.
A full list of awards is featured on the UC Office of the President’s website.