Sustainability Goals & Commitments

The University of Maryland has been working towards sustainability for decades, and each year we take new steps and further progress. Our goals and successes are tracked in three platforms:

Sustainability Goals

The UMD Sustainability Goals set broad targets, ranging from energy use to purchasing, to guide sustainability efforts. These broad goals are endorsed by the University Sustainability Council to guide UMD's sustainability efforts.

Climate Action Plan

First created in 2008-2009 and revised in 2015-2016, the Climate Action Plan sets out regular benchmarks to lower the university's carbon footprint, gradually guiding the campus toward carbon neutrality in 2050. In Spring 2021, President Pines announced that UMD will accelerate its commitment to climate action by achieving net carbon neutrality in 2025. The Climate Action Plan will be updated in 2021-2022 with new strategies to achieve this target. Our university Climate Action Plan was an extension of the Climate Leadership Commitments, which provide a framework and support for American colleges and universities to eventually become carbon neutral and improve regional resilience to climate change.

Other Commitments

Beyond internally set goals and climate strategies, UMD's operational programs to support sustainability are guided by an array of voluntary commitments and regulatory requirements. UMD aims to foster a culture of sustainability and act as a leader in voluntary and regulated environmental stewardship by going above and beyond the call of action. Explore other commitments and regulations that help UMD become more sustainable.