Who we are

Background

The Voices for Carbon Neutrality (VCN ) was launched in April 2018 following the first Carbon Neutrality Conference held at the University of Michigan which was organized by the Energy Institute and Professor Adam Simon with his “Clean Wolverine” students. The Greenhouse Gas benchmark data presented at the conference and a White Paper were then sent to President Schlissel and the Regents.

Mission

Voices for Carbon Neutrality (VCN), a group of U-M faculty, staff and alumni leaders actively advocating for carbon neutrality at U-M. The mission of VCN is to serve as a catalyst and accelerant to drive U-M toward carbon neutrality consistent with the final report from the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality (PCCN) approved by the Regents in May 2021 and to do so in a timeframe that matches the urgency of the latest IPCC report.

Core Values

• Partner with community stakeholders with common values

• Collaborate with mutual respect

• Be relentlessly optimistic and persistent to get to ‘Yes’

• Drive decision making with best available science

• Represent the entire University community

Our Progress

Focus to date

• Influence Regents:

  • Over 65 speakers at Regents meetings between May 2018 and February 2022

  • Initiated a faculty letter in Dec. 2019 signed by over 1500 for presentation to Feb. 2020 Regents meeting

  • Meet with Regents to urge support for approving the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality Recommendations

• Engage the PCCN:

  • Met with Co-Chairs, commission members and IAT leaders to further develop recommendations

  • Responded to and publicized the gaps in the PCCN's draft recommendations

• Community Engagement:

  • Staged 4 community webinars to address shortcomings in the PCCN's recommendations and approach to carbon neutrality

• Call for More Rapid Implementation of PCCN Recommendations:

  • Broadened the call across all campuses including MI Medicine and the U-M alumni community

  • Supporting the leaders/actions of the students’ Climate Action Movement (CAM)

  • Called for carbon neutrality to be in all position descriptions for new leadership searches