In March 2021, the University of Michigan President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality released its Final Report & Recommendations. In 2018, the University’s President announced a plan to appoint a commission to anlyze options and make recommendations for how the university’s three campuses could achieve carbon neutrality.

The Commissions high-level recommendations:

• Reach carbon neutrality for Scope 1 emissions across all three campuses by 2025 (inclusive of carbon offsets) and eliminate Scope 1 emissions entirely by 2040;
• Achieve carbon neutrality for Scope 2 emissions across all three campuses by 2025 or earlier;
• Establish, by 2025, carbon neutrality goal dates for Scope 3 emissions categories that are set for no later than 2040; and
• Deepen its commitment to environmental justice and strengthen its connections with local communities.

The Report includes a letter from the Commission to University leaders, its broader community, and all who desire a sustainable and just future. In it, the Commission asserts that the “climate emergency requires a transformation on a collective and institutional scale” done with great urgency.

Scope 1 emissions come from on-campus sources. Scope 2 come from the university’s purchasing electricity from off-campus generators. Scope 3 emissions come from all other indirect sources linked to university operations. However, the Commission states that the University’s investment portfolio lies outside its analysis and recommendations. This is important given the campaign demanding the University divest its portfolio from fossil-fuels.

The full report and recommendations are available at http://sustainability.umich.edu/carbonneutrality.