Process: Climate Action Planning

 

6 goals the current planning effort at the Twin Cities campus strives to create


The University of Minnesota is a significant organization with a statewide leadership role. In doing our part to reduce our energy usage on the Twin Cities campus, we are also contributing to the city's reduction of energy use and advancing climate action beyond our campus.
 

Planning Process Approach

Completed in 2023, the Climate Action Plan worked all the way from a vision to the development of implementation blueprints. The diagram below demonstrates our basic pathway to getting there.

Climate action plan process map

The plan started with our broad vision and commitments of being carbon neutral by 2050 and continuing to strengthen our campus’ resilience to changing conditions. Within that vision, there are several categories that we organized action around, aligned with major sources of emissions and climate adaptation needs.

For the Twin Cities Climate Action Plan (CAP), the campus convened the Twin Cities Sustainability Committee (TCSC) to play a leading role. The scope of work was divided into six elements. Five of the elements are the campus’ largest or most visible emissions sources. Within each of the emission reduction elements, the CAP established goals for what we want to achieve. Progress towards these goals is measurable through key performance indicators with various interim milestones. Those goals will be advanced through a set of prioritized strategies and implementation steps that will be supported by additional blueprint details, such as the champions of each strategy, the costs, and pivot points. The CAP is specific about what steps we will take, who will help us get there, and how. The plan also balances the need to be adaptable with the reality that new community needs, tech, funding, and other variables bring.

Timeline

Climate action planning timeline

Working Groups

Recognizing the complexity and breadth of work to be done, the Twin Cities Sustainability Committee (TCSC) formed Working Groups for each Element to advance specific aspects of the planning process related to eliminating major sources of campus emissions and making the campus more resilient to current and future climate change impacts.

Charge

Working Groups drafted a report documenting goals, key performance indicators, and prioritized strategy blueprints. The blueprints detail Implementation Steps, timeline, key project partners, and other considerations.

Working Groups are:

  • Comprised of faculty, staff, and students
  • Led by an UMN TC staff and/or faculty with relevant subject expertise 
  • Staffed by UMN TC students to assist with research, writing, and content development 
  • Supported by a Sustainability staffer as a formal liaison to the TCSC
  • Joined by TCSC member(s) as decided upon by individual members

Expand all

Energy Demand, Supply, and Distribution

Scope of Work:

Identify, evaluate, and recommend high-level strategies for decarbonizing campus heating, cooling, and power generation systems. The supply and distribution system assessment will likely consider electrification and geothermal district systems among others and should consider the necessary changes/upgrades to buildings to accommodate the system transition. The group will also review options for providing electricity from emissions-free sources. This can include, but is not limited to, renewable energy onsite, vPPAs, or other avenues. Recommendations will be refined during the Energy and Utility Plan. Policy and programmatic areas of improvement are also welcomed strategies to meet UMN’s carbon reduction Goals. The analysis will not be focusing on emergency generation, carbon capture, carbon offsets, or carbon sequestration.
 

Working Group Members:

  • Sairaj Dhople - Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • Richard Graves - Center for Sustainable Building Research
  • Mike Grimstad - FM, Energy Management (Lead)
  • Uwe Kortshagen - Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • Joe Krekeler - FM, Energy Management
  • Arwen Larson/Jessie Whittaker (co-appointment) - Utility Finance
  • Peter Lindstrom - Clean Energy Resource Teams
  • Scott McCord - FM, Energy Management 
  • Beth Mercer-Taylor - Institute on the Environment
  • Dana Murdoch/Erik Wadman (co-appointment) - CPM Representative
  • Kate Nelson - Director of Sustainability
  • Kate Saucedo - Student Representative 
  • Jeff Standish - MnDRIVE Environment
  • Avni Tripathi - Student Representative

University Fleet

Scope of Work: 

Identify, evaluate, and recommend strategies for decarbonizing the campus vehicle fleet. Utilize the ongoing pilot projects to inform the development of strategies for electrifying the fleet amongst others that may right size the number of vehicles in the fleet and the size of vehicle class in use. The analysis should consider fleet charging needs, purchasing and driving policies, and other best practices.


Working Group Members:

  • Ross Allanson - Parking & Transportation Services (Lead)
  • Melina Helgeson - Fleet Management, Parking & Transportation Services
  • Dawn Hood - Center for Transportation Studies
  • Kate Nelson - Director of Sustainability
  • Will Northrop - Faculty, Mechanical Engineering
  • Clint Schoeck - Finance, Parking & Transportation Services
  • Shashi Shekhar - Department of Computer Science
  • Kyle Shelton - Center for Transportation Studies  
  • Jeff Standish - MnDRIVE Environment
  • Linda Weingarten - FM, Director of Central Services; FM designate

Commuting

Scope of Work:

Develop approaches for estimating and tracking the GHG footprint associated with UMN TC commuting activity. Identify, evaluate, and recommend approaches to eliminate emissions from commuting. Mechanisms for change might include parking policy reform, individual incentives, regional transit partnerships, carpooling, etc.


Working Group Members:

  • Jason Cao - Humphrey School of Public Affairs
  • Drew Carter - Department of Food Science and Nutrition
  • Dawn Hood - Center for Transportation Studies (Lead)
  • John Mark Lucas - Parking & Transportation Services
  • Kate Nelson - Director of Sustainability
  • Libby Stille - Human Resources
  • Kendre Turoni - Office of Off-Campus Living Representative

University Travel

Scope of Work:

Develop approaches for estimating and tracking the GHG footprint associated with UMN-TC-sponsored travel. Identify, evaluate, and recommend approaches to decrease that footprint over time (e.g., volume reduction, incentives, etc.). A large focus of the group will be on air travel, but other forms of University-sponsored travel (charter buses, Lyft, and others) should be evaluated.


Working Group Members:

  • Shannon Farrell - Interim Research Data Services Librarian
  • Rebekka Gronfor White - Purchasing Services
  • Emily Hoover - Faculty Representative, Department of Horticultural Science
  • Tiffany Howard - Athletics
  • Ann Hubbard - Learning Abroad Center 
  • Kate Nelson - Director of Sustainability
  • Rylie Pelton - Institute on the Environment
  • Paige Rohman - University Services (Lead)
  • Paulina Vergara Buitrago - Student Representative

Adaptation and Resilience

Scope of Work: 

Conduct a risk and vulnerability assessment. Discuss preliminary Goals and metrics. NOTE: the Adaptation and Resilience Working Group will follow a different scope of work that is presented here but the roles and responsibilities will be similar.


Working Group Members:

  • Cathy Abene - FM, Stormwater Infrastructure
  • Farrukh Bashir - FM District representation
  • Andrew Caddock - Planning, Space, and Real Estate (PSRE)
  • Amanda Farris - Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
  • Madisen Gittlin - Student Representative
  • Cathy Jordan - Institute on the Environment (Lead)
  • Kate Nelson - Director of Sustainability
  • David Paulu - Emergency Management
  • Tom Ritzer - FM Landcare 
  • Heidi Roop - Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
  • Pervin Shroff - Department of Accounting, Carlson School of Management
  • Stacey Stark - USpatial