CRed - The Community Carbon Reduction Project at UNC-Chapel Hill

CRed in Chapel Hill and at UNC-Chapel Hill

The CRed program in the Institute for the Environment is working on two related projects: bringing the principles of carbon reduction to the Town of Chapel Hill and to our own university campus. In September of 2005, the Town Council voted to become the first U.S. town to make the CRed pledge! Our faculty and student teams have been working with the Council and Town staff to develop an initial pledge and determine how the reductions in carbon emissions can be made in the most cost-effective manner. Results of some of these analyses can be seen at the following site: ENST 94: Carbon Reduction in Chapel Hill

In Spring semester, 2005, a second team of Institute students and faculty will develop a suite of short, medium and long-term strategies for these reductions, slotting the changes into the budgeting cycle for the Town.

Also in Fall, 2005, the Town and University agreed to join together in the CRed program. During Fall 2005 and Spring 2006, teams of Institute students and faculty are developing an inventory of carbon dioxide releases from University operations, and will use this inventory to develop short, medium and long-term strategies for carbon emissions reductions. These projects are being conducted under the guidance of the Vice Chancellor's Sustainability Advisory Committee, and draw on the extensive and award-winning work the University has already done in bringing principles of sustainability to the campus. For more on these efforts, visit the Sustainability at UNC website.