As part of UMass Amherst’s Path to Carbon Zero ongoing effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the university has partnered with RMF Engineering, Brailsford & Dunlavey, and DOC Construction to develop the second phase of the campus decarbonization plan.

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The updated plan will be completed in 2027 and will guide major decisions on important issues for years to come, including how buildings are heated and cooled, from where and how campus energy will be sourced, and how decarbonization will impact research, teaching, campus life and beyond.

As more than 90% of UMass Amherst’s direct emissions result from heating, cooling and electrical systems, discussions during Phase Two of the plan will focus heavily on how the university produces and uses energy on campus, as well as its broader footprint, including transportation and the everyday choices made by members of the UMass community.

“I’m excited to embark on our next phase of carbon reduction planning which aligns with the campus strategic plan and goals related to sustainability and decarbonization,” said Chancellor Javier A. Reyes. “This process will be informed by the progress we’ve made to date including several electrification and thermal energy storage projects and through opportunities for input from the campus community. I also want to thank the faculty, staff and student members of our decarbonization sub-committee of the Chancellor’s Sustainability Action Committee for their work to select this consulting team and their ongoing efforts and collaboration on this next phase of planning.”

The planning team is currently seeking input from the campus community via a short online survey to help establish priorities for the updated plan and answer key questions, including what should guide decisions related to decarbonization, which tradeoffs are acceptable, what a decarbonized campus should look like in practice, and how respondents would like to stay informed about the planning process.

The anonymously sourced responses to the survey will directly inform the team, which is comprised of the Decarbonization Subcommittee of the Chancellor’s Sustainability Advisory Committee and led by Dwayne Breger, emeritus director of UMass Clean Energy Extension, and Ted Mendoza, university capital project manager.

The survey, as well as further details about the university’s Path to Carbon Zero, can be found on the Sustainability at UMass site.