Events such as extreme drought and flooding, rampaging wildfires, and rising sea levels highlight the need for us to take collective responsibility to tackle the climate crisis. University of California accepts this responsibility and has been working toward ambitious sustainability goals for more than a decade.
Sustainability goals
UC academic health centers are committed to advancing sustainability in ways that support patient health, community wellbeing and environmental responsibility. Goals focus on transitioning to clean energy, improving the efficiency of buildings and water use, reducing waste, and strengthening sustainable purchasing and food systems. The academic health centers also emphasize healthier environments through green building practices, responsible supply chains and participation in nationally recognized health care sustainability groups and programs.
Get more information on these commitments and progress in the UC annual sustainability report
UC's health locations are advancing sustainability and resilience across care delivery, supply chains, and communities to protect health today and into the future.
Taking climate action for impact beyond our walls
UC's health locations are taking action to address greenhouse gas emissions, including indirect emissions from transportation and the supply chain. By analyzing its scope 3 emissions, UC's health locations identified priority areas for impact and launched targeted efforts to reduce emissions from its largest sources. This work reflects a systemwide commitment to climate responsibility that extends beyond campus and health system boundaries.
Get information on Scope 3 emissions at UC's academic health centers
Learn about the UC's approach to reducing emissions from nitrous oxide in care locations
Building resiliency in our communities
UC's health locations are evaluating how climate change and environmental conditions affect the health of the communities they serve. Climate-related questions are now incorporated into community health needs assessments, helping guide more responsive and community-driven health strategies.
Expert teams from across the UC system are sharing information, ideas and action plans through toolkits for our communities with actionable strategies.
Community engagement strategies from UCI Health
Emergency management integration from UCSF Health
Extreme heat health impacts from UC Davis Health
Extreme heat, wildfires and air pollution, and workforce preparation from UCLA Health
Extreme heat health impacts from UC San Diego Health
Advancing clinical leadership on decarbonization
The UC Center for Climate, Health and Equity is elevating clinical decarbonization as a core health priority. The center's Clinical Decarbonization Fellowship supports UC clinicians in developing and implementing real-world solutions within health care settings. CCHE also expands education and preparedness through clinician training, webinars, and partnerships that integrate climate science into medical practice.