UMD: University Of Maryland Accelerates Emissions-Cutting Goal

Press release from University of Maryland - College Park:

April 29, 2021

President Pines’ new goal will take off a quarter century off a previous plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.  “We must continue our academic leadership in research, education and service relative to climate science, sustainability and environmental stewardship of our natural resources. I challenge our faculty to become leaders in developing solutions to one of the grand challenges of our time,” he said during the Earth Day address. “We all must become climate ambassadors.”   Carlo Colella, vice president and chief administrative officer, said UMD is well positioned to take advantage of the growing cost-effectiveness of renewable energy such as solar and wind power over fossil fuels. In addition, through a public-private partnership called the To make the university fleet more efficient, its approximately 1,000 light-duty trucks and vehicles will be replaced with electric models as current vehicles wear out. Light electric and gas vehicles are relatively comparable right now in terms of cost, Colella said, and the administration will continue to search for grants and other financial incentives to make it more feasible to replace costly vehicles like diesel buses. As the university continues to track emerging technologies that allow for “We are in a good place, and we got there by improving a lot of efficiencies and purchasing offsets,” Colella said, noting that UMD was already more than halfway to the previous 2050 target. “That’s great progress to build upon.” ###   About the University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff, and 280 academic programs. As one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright scholars, its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners and 57 members of the national academies. The institution has a $1.9 billion operating budget and secures $514 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit www.umd.edu.

This press release was produced by the University of Maryland - College Park. The views expressed here are the author’s own.