On Feb. 4, 2019, the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality (PCCN) was appointed to recommend how the University of Michigan would achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, as well as develop scalable and transferable strategies that can be used by other institutions and larger communities to achieve the same goal.

View Planet Blue’s Carbon Neutrality page

After the release of the PCCN’s final recommendations in March 2021, the university announced a series of commitments and initial steps that place carbon neutrality at the center of U-M’s mission. Following the commission’s guidance, U-M will eliminate Scope 1 emissions (resulting from direct, on-campus sources) by 2040, achieve carbon neutrality for Scope 2 emissions (resulting from purchased electricity) by 2025, and establish net-zero goals for Scope 3 emissions categories (resulting from indirect sources like commuting, food procurement, and university-sponsored travel) by 2025.

These and other strategies — the first of more to come in a comprehensive climate action plan — cover the entire university, including 40 million square feet in buildings, three campuses, an expansive athletics complex and the Michigan Medicine health system.

Read more about U-M’s carbon neutrality efforts following the PCCN’s recommendations at the Environment, Sustainability, and Carbon Neutrality Presidential Initiative webpage.