UC San Diego named ‘Climate
Protection Champion’ by City

April 23, 2008

By Jim Gogek

UC San Diego received the San Diego Climate Protection Champion award from Mayor Jerry Sanders and Council President Scott Peters for the university’s commitment to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the San Diego region.

Photo Credit: City of San Diego Environmental Services Department

UC San Diego was recognized for becoming the first campus on the West Coast to join the Chicago Climate Exchange, North America’s only voluntary, legally binding trading system to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. UC San Diego also was the first university in California to be recognized by the California Climate Action Registry as a “Climate Action Leader.”

Receiving the award for UC San Diego were Lisa Shaffer, executive director of the UC San Diego Sustainability Initiative, and Russell Thackston, Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor, Auxiliary and Plant Services at UC San Diego.

A world leader in climate science research, UC San Diego works with communities, governments, businesses and organizations to create one of the greenest university campuses and to promote environmental sustainability on local, national and global levels. Students, faculty and university staff work collaboratively in a campuswide commitment to find solutions to climate change. UC San Diego plans to self-generate 7.4 megawatts of green energy within the next year, which will be 10-15 percent of its total electricity usage.

The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, signed in 2006 by Mayor Jerry Sanders, launched the City’s Climate Protection Champion Award, which encourages businesses, nonprofit organizations and academic institutions to significantly reduce global warming emissions in the San Diego region. Also receiving awards were Bank of America and Amylin Pharmaceuticals.

Media Contact: Jim Gogek, 858-692-5401