ON CAMPUS — The new year at UCSD has brought with it renewed
efforts to continue the university’s aggressive attempts to conserve energy and
further develop the campus’ reputation as a leader in reducing carbon-dioxide emissions
and maintaining a clean, green campus.

However, in addition to protecting the environment, the
university’s latest efforts are giving it a head start in what is becoming an
important global sustainability operation. UCSD’s latest endeavor in its fight
against global warming and greenhouse gas emissions is its decision to become
the first university on the West Coast to join the Chicago Climate Exchange, or
CCX, North America’s only voluntary trading system to reduce greenhouse-gas
emissions.

With public awareness growing over the looming threats of
pollution and climate change, the time has come for U.S. corporations and institutions
to prioritize sustainability and emissions reduction. UCSD is making a wise
investment by tackling this issue early and joining the climate exchange. The
European Union has already made it mandatory for its largest institutions to
abide by contracts regulating GHG emissions, and it’s not unlikely that the United States
will soon follow suit.

The CCX employs an innovative marketing approach in the
fight against global warming. It works much like a typical market, but the
commodities traded are fossil fuel-based greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide, which is a major contributor to global warming. When a company or institution
joins CCX, it signs a contract to reduce emissions by a fixed amount over a
certain time period. Every year, those emissions are documented and if the
reduction criteria has not been met, the institution is required to purchase
credits through CCX. However, if a reduction has occurred, the institution can
sell or bank those credits. This resembles the EU’s incredibly effective “cap
and trade” scheme, which may also be used by the state to comply with the
recently passed Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires California to reduce its global warming
emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

According to John Dilliott, UCSD Energy and Utilities
manager, joining the climate exchange will provide the university with useful experience in a system that will
almost certainly be adopted in California, and
the rest of the United
States, in the impending future.

Moreover, Dilliot believes that UCSD’s involvement will also
allow students to take an active role in the process, particularly in the field
of environmental economics, which is predicted to become increasingly important
in the coming years.

UCSD is planning to lower on-campus emissions through
various methods, notably by targeting commuter behavior, one of the biggest
sources of GHG emissions. Currently, Transportation and Parking Services hopes
to further reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles traveling to campus
by negotiating with local agencies to develop a regional transit pass for UCSD,
which would provide students, staff and faculty with unlimited access to public
transportation throughout San
Diego County.

In addition to the T&PS initiatives to reduce emissions,
several other departments on campus are working to lower greenhouse gases. The
Facilities Management department, which works on recycling habits and
environmentally friendly renovations, is just one example. Each of these
efforts has contributed to sustainability and efficient energy use and
everything done to lower emissions and save energy helps reduce the negative
impact on the environment. All of these efforts improve the campus’ ability to
positively influence other universities and corporations.

“Because we’ve become much more energy efficient and
generate most of our own power, our campus can now sell surplus greenhouse gas credits
on an open market,” said Steven W. Relyea, UCSD Vice Chancellor of Business
Affairs. “This not only shows our commitment to green practices and reducing
our carbon footprint, but also our commitment to employing innovative,
leading-edge technology.”

UCSD has a history of identifying the problems of climate
change, beginning long ago with Charles Keeling’s research at Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, which confirmed the rise of atmospheric carbon
dioxide and global warming. Now, with its reputation as a major research
university and the power to promote awareness of these problems, UCSD has
become a leader in identifying innovative solutions for global warming. With
the help of CCX, UCSD’s reputation will continue to grow and the campus will gain
the power to become an influential example for other universities and
corporations in California
and nationwide.