CAIP Portal
Sustainability forms the focal point for coordinating sustainability initiatives on campus by receiving information, tracking data, and assessing progress. This is accomplished through involvement in institutional and programmatic planning, information dissemination, providing guidance, reporting, and acting as a resource on sustainability in higher education. This webpage shows various data we have tracked to report on sustainability progress.
UIC tracks and publicly reports its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the Second Nature website. UIC’s GHG emissions are categorized into three major scopes referred to as Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3. The categories of scopes are detailed in the Business-As-Usual CAIP webpage.
See the Climate Action Implementation Plan page for a link to the CAIP progress report for 2019-2020.
search for UIC's 2004-present Greenhouse Gas emissions (accessible)
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
CAIP Strategy 1.0 Energy Efficiency and Conservation implements strategic energy management through energy conservation and a green revolving fund. It also requires the campus to reduce energy demand by constructing buildings to higher energy standards and to shift habits of the campus to a more energy conscious manner.
Strategy 2.0 Clean and Renewable Energy Sources procures renewable energy through an indirect power purchase agreement through a renewable energy developer, and also through an onsite to install solar PV rooftop system.
Energy
Sustainable Transportation
CAIP Strategy 3.0 Reduced Transportation-Related Emissions reduces commuting-related emissions by developing a more robust bicycle program, including the installation of additional bike parking.
Bikes
Vehicles
Reduced Waste Streams
CAIP Strategy 5.0 Sustainable Materials and Reduced Waste Streams requires UIC departments and units to compose and implement their own zero waste plan. This strategy also optimizes university-level operations through operational waste collection efficiency and requiring at least 90% of construction and demolition waste to be recycled. This strategy reduces food waste through a comprehensive food scrap collection and food recovery program. These strategies are all visible through the reduction of waste in the graph below.
Waste and Recycling
Water Use Reduction
CAIP Strategy 4.0 Natural Systems and Ecosystem Services retains and reuses stormwater as well as to reduces campus water use through building-level water metering and installing manual and low-flow bathroom fixtures.
Water
Biodiversity
CAIP Strategy 4.0 Natural Systems and Ecosystem Services demands that UIC increase the diversity of tree species on campus to no more than 5% per species or 10% per genus.