Rutgers joins University Climate Change Coalition

Rutgers joined the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3), a group of 22 universities seeking to minimize the effects of climate change, according to an article from Rutgers Today. 

“As a large public research institution with 70,000 students and 23,000 faculty and staff in a coastal state that is also the most densely populated in the country, we are keenly aware of the urgency of climate action,” said University President Robert L. Barchi, according to the article.

The UC3 consists of research universities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, according to the article. Three other Big Ten Conference schools: University of Michigan, Ohio State University and University of Maryland, are also members. 

UC3 also works with Second Nature’s Climate Leadership Network, a group of hundreds of colleges working to tackle climate change, according to the article. 

Members of the UC3 work together to help communities achieve climate goals, accelerate the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and nurture community climate resilience. Barchi said he believes Rutgers should contribute the expertise of faculty members in order to help develop climate solutions for not only the University, but also New Jersey and the rest of the world. 

The Daily Targum previously reported the University is in the process of developing a Climate Action Plan to acheive carbon neutrality. Barchi created the President’s Task Force on Carbon Neutrality and Climate Resilience to develop the plan based on research and community input.

Membership in the UC3 will give the University the opportunity to exchange information with other schools on the best ways to reduce emissions, according to the article. The schools will review previous scientific research and share knowledge with communities and partners in the public and private sectors.

“Our common vision is that the world’s great research institutions can, and must, lead on these topics,” said University of California President Janet Napolitano, who helped form UC3, according to the article.

Barchi said the University remains committed to finding climate change solutions.

“We are firmly committed to advancing climate improvement in the higher education sector, and we are enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute to the University Climate Change Coalition,” Barchi said, according to the article.