In November 2007, the Environmental Stewardship Committee was created to direct UB’s effort toward fulfilling the commitment. Since then, the ESC created, submitted and began implementation of a Climate Action Plan aimed at reducing UB’s net carbon emissions to zero by 2030.

The Environmental Stewardship Committee was constructed according to one basic principle: those people representing units of the university with the budget authority and operational capacity to implement a climate action plan should be intimately involved in creating, managing and monitoring the plan.

Accordingly, individuals at the chief of staff level or above in University Facilities, Information Technology, Human Resources, Student Affairs and Business Services, as well as the Office of the Provost, Undergraduate Education, the Graduate School, the Office of Research, the Office for Strategic Initiatives, and Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences, serve on the committee, along with representatives of the undergraduate Student Association and Graduate Students Association.

The committee is chaired by Robert G. Shibley, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning and UB campus architect. Shibley also was point person for the development of UB’s 2009 Comprehensive Physical Plan, an assignment that allowed UB to align planning for campus growth with planning for sustainability and climate neutrality.

Meetings of the Environmental Stewardship Committee are typically held on the first Tuesday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Members of the university community are invited to observe. Check our listing for locations and schedule changes. Official notes will be published here after each meeting.