Sustainability Office to Host Campus Sustainability Plan Student Feedback Workshop

The UC Santa Cruz Sustainability Office has been hard at work producing the 2017-2022 Campus Sustainability Plan. The plan will detail how UCSC will meet its sustainability goals over the next 5 years. Topics covered in the plan include Natural Environment and Infrastructure, Materials management & Food Systems, Climate & Energy, and Leaning & Culture.  This new CSP will build on the successes of previous Campus Sustainability Plans, which have led UCSC to source 84% of its sanitary supplies from sustainable sources and to compost 100% of dining hall food waste.

Shauna Casey, Sustainability Programs Manager, notes the main themes that came out of a brainstorm about Learning & Culture.

To obtain student input, the Sustainability Office has held a series of feedback workshops. These student-centered workshops provide a hands-on opportunity to engage with other students on the campus sustainability issues that are most important to them, and provide direct feedback on the proposed goals and strategies for the next 5-year Campus Sustainability Plan. At these pizza-catered events, students have raised questions and concerns about the impact of P3 and Kresge development, as well as the role of cap & trade in the UC system. Some students voiced concerns about the energy required to move water, erosion in upper campus, and the Long Range Development Plan. "I really like that they're including culture and education now. It's good to see that there's a concern for the human lives affected by environmental issues." Said Jacquelyne Vera, a student who attended a workshop in the fall. The next CSP Student Feedback Workshop will be happening in April. More information coming soon.