As a signatory of the Second Nature Carbon Commitment, UMD is committed to reduce its emissions by 25% from 2007 levels by 2020 and become a carbon neutral institution by 2050. By using fewer resources and reducing emissions UMD is not only having a smaller impact on the environment but is also saving money.
Progress Toward the Goal
The 2020 numbers are in and UMD has reduced emissions 29% over our 2007 baseline! That's a reduction of 17,087 metric tons of CO2 over the last 13 years. Read more details about how we achieved the reductions and action steps to get to the 2050 carbon neutrality goal in our Carbon Commitment Progress Update.
Emission reductions have fluctuated over the years. Some reasons for this include extremely cold winters, adding 4+ new buildings on campus, and uncertainties in calculations. Despite the weather and increased square footage, UMD’s emissions have remained relatively flat due to investments in energy efficiency across campus. These efficiency investments have enabled UMD to bring new buildings online while keeping emission reduction progress moving forward.
What’s included in UMD’s GHG Emissions?
About 90% of campus emissions come from two sources:
- the steam plant that heats and cools campus buildings using natural gas and
- electricity purchased to power campus.
The remaining 10% includes commuting, air travel, refrigerants, UMD vehicles, solid waste, and applied fertilizers.