Chancellor’s Committee on Sustainability and Energy
The Chancellor's Committee on Sustainability and Energy (CCSE) is convened by the Office of Planning, Sustainability, and Project Management (PSPM) and recommends policies and initiatives for UIC that realize the goals of the UIC Climate Commitments via the Climate Action Implementation Plan (CAIP). These recommendations are finalized by each subcommittee, after synthesizing input from the UIC community.
The CCSE consists of six subcommittees: Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure, Education and Research, Renewable Energy and Resource Conservation, Resilience, Transportation and Zero Waste.
The CCSE is co-chaired by the Assistant Vice-Chancellor and Director of Sustainability and the Director of the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy. Each subcommittee is co-chaired by a faculty member and staff member with expertise and/or responsibilities for programs affected by the related CAIP strategies.
Members of each of the CCSE subcommittees are made up of other staff with direct responsibility for implementation of the CAIP goals, other faculty subject matter experts, students from the Sustainability Fee committee, and other interested students. Up to ten faculty and staff have been appointed by the Chancellor to the subcommittees.
Each CCSE subcommittee holds regular public meetings to harness the collective power of the knowledge and enthusiasm of the broader campus community. Use the form below to sign up to be notified of the public meetings.
CCSE Structure and Procedures (PDF)
2021 - 2023 CCSE Member List
CCSE Subcommittees Heading link
Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure
The CCSE Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure (formerly Grounds) subcommittee makes recommendations on policies that guide the management and maintenance of UIC’s landscape and non-building facilities, including the care of trees on campus (UIC Tree Care Plan), native plants and pollinators (Campus Pollinator Habitat Plan), as well as management of stormwater (Green Stormwater Infrastructure Implementation Plan).
The Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure subcommittee works on the implementation of the majority Strategy 4.0 of the CAIP: Natural Systems and Ecosystem Services.
Education & Research
The CCSE Education and Research subcommittee recommends a campus-level commitment to strategically integrate sustainability themes into the undergraduate curriculum using two sets of recommendations, those from the UIC Climate Commitments and those from “To Green and Beyond: Excellence Through Sustainability at UIC.
The Education & Research subcommittee works on the implementation of Strategy 6.0 of the CAIP: Teaching & Learning
Renewable Energy and Resource Conservation
The CCSE Renewable Energy and Resource Conservation subcommittee focuses on initiatives including energy efficiency and conservation projects, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction from electricity and co-generation activities. This also includes water conservation and green building policies.
The Renewable Energy and Resource Conservation subcommittee works on the implementation of CAIP Strategy 1.0: Energy Efficiency and Conservation, CAIP Strategy 2.0: Clean and Renewable Energy Sources, and the water conservation section of CAIP Strategy 4.0: Natural Systems and Ecosystem Services.
Resilience
The Resilience subcommittee works on solutions that increase climate resiliency and climate justice for the campus and community in areas of ecosystem services, infrastructure, social equity and governance, health and wellness, economy, and emergency preparedness.
The Resilience subcommittee works on the implementation of CAIP Strategy 7.0: Climate Resilience.
Transportation
The CCSE Transportation subcommittee examines transportation on and to campus, including air travel for university business, develops transportation policies, and monitor progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the campus fleet and through commuting patterns.
The CCSE Transportation subcommittee works on the implementation of Strategy 3.0 of the CAIP: Reduced Transportation-Related Emissions.
Zero Waste
The CCSE Zero Waste (formerly Sustainable Materials) subcommittee looks at UIC’s recycling and waste management programs including general recycling, composting, construction, special and hazardous waste, and recommends processes and programs to reduce waste volume and increase recycling rates as well as developing policies to increase sustainable materials into UIC’s purchasing policies.
The CCSE Zero Waste subcommittee works on the implementation of Strategy 5.0 of the CAIP: Sustainable Materials and Reduced Waste Streams.