UF CAP 2.0 Listen & Learn Recap
Couldn’t make it to the UF CAP 2.0 Listen & Learn session on Monday, November 8th? No worries! Join us for a quick recap of this climate action feedback event.
CAP 2.0 Refresher
On Nov. 8th, the UF Office of Sustainability hosted an informative Listen & Learn session open to the entire UF community. The event began with a summary of the scope of the Climate Action Plan (CAP), followed by a background and history of the CAP from Matt Williams, Director of the Office of Sustainability.
The climate action plan is a campus-wide strategic framework to reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. By doing so, UF aims to reach carbon neutrality and improve the university’s resilience to climate change impacts and support its academic mission. The original UF CAP was created in 2009, so all of the current hype around the CAP pertains to building upon and strengthening the achievements made over the past decade. The result is the CAP 2.0, an improved plan that is currently in the draft stage.
The ongoing CAP 2.0 process has been designed to produce a plan that includes voices from stakeholders across campus, provides strategic goals at multiple levels, and serves as a “living” responsive framework for the future. UF already shines as a prominent leader in sustainability at the state level and as a top 5 public university at the national level. The CAP 2.0 goals explore sustainable solutions that align with the UF vision to foster a high-quality campus experience for all.
As part of the introductions to climate action efforts, Office of Sustainability staff shared the multi-year study from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication that indicates that the majority of U.S. citizens support action to address climate change. Better yet, 71% of Florida voters in particular support general climate action! This data served as an appreciated reminder to attendees that, with the right climate action plan in place, there is true potential to gain momentum and support large-scale change.
The remainder of the CAP 2.0 Listen & Learn session asked attendees to contribute feedback on the draft goals and strategies shared from the UF CAP 2.0.
Discussing The CAP 2.0 Draft Goals
To elicit feedback on the draft goals, Office of Sustainability student interns facilitated activities and discussions in breakout rooms. Each breakout room focused on one of the CAP working groups listed below:
- Academics
- Buildings
- Energy
- Resilience
- Transportation
- Offsets & Finance* (this working group was not available as a breakout session for this event)
Attendees selected their preferred working group topic and proceeded to review the draft goals provided. Many proved to be highly interested in learning more about the energy category, which is no surprise as 76% of UF’s carbon footprint comes from energy consumption. Participants were eager to understand more about renewable alternatives, the costs of alternatives, and solar energy capabilities.
The event provided a lot of great cross-pollination of ideas and feedback. Attendees reported feeling like they learned a lot and felt better connected to the campus efforts. And a variety of useful feedback was shared including interest in prioritizing clear & accessible terminology, identifying metrics for measuring progress, and targeting goals and strategies that build off of previous achievements at UF.
What’s Next For Climate Action at UF?
The CAP 2.0 draft goal feedback from the event will be shared with the working groups and planning/support team for consideration. The CAP 2.0 remains in draft stages but will be ready to proceed to the next stage soon.
By the end of 2021, the working groups aim to submit the updated climate action plan to the Advisory Board for review. At that point, additional review and support from the community will be needed. The final step is for the plan to move on to UF leadership for approval. This collective, ongoing process benefits from support from the entire UF community!
A common theme throughout the event was the emphasis on the value of the collective student voice at UF as it relates to collaborating on climate action at UF. Event attendees were eager to know about additional ways to connect with the CAP 2.0. We invite all members of the UF community – students, staff, and faculty – to contribute through some of the resources below!
To stay engaged with climate action at UF, check out these opportunities:
- Request a CAP Talk
- Submit comments any time through the Climate Action Comment Form
- Follow the UF Office of Sustainability on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & TikTok (@SustainableUF)
- Subscribe to the Office of Sustainability e-newsletter
- Learn about Campus Sustainability Initiatives
