Focus and Impact (2018-2025)

Following an April 5, 2018 UM-wide Carbon Neutrality Conference where it was recognized that U-M was in the bottom quartile of the Big10 in decarbonizing our campus, U-M Energy Institute provided a June 2018 White Paper entitled Toward Carbon Neutrality at the University of Michiganto President Schlissel. 

Summer 2018: VCN is formed and focuses on advocating for setting U-M on an aggressive carbon neutrality path.

A steady stream of faculty, staff, students, and community members speak at Regent meetings advocating for U-M decarbonization (75+ speakers 2018-2022).

October 4, 2018: President Schlissel announces a goal of carbon neutrality for U-M

Outcome:  President Schlissel appoints the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality (PCCN) in February 2019.

After the U-M’s 2nd Carbon Neutrality Conference a Clean Wolverines White Paper is provided to the PCCN and the Regents by a VCN speaker in April 2019.

VCN sends a Faculty and Staff Petition to the Regents urging immediate action on Carbon Neutrality - Feb. 2020

• The VCN letter to the Regents, Petition, and metrics are at this link.

• Presentation of the VCN Petition to the Board of Regents is reported in the March 26, 2020 issue of the Michigan Daily.

VCN benchmarking data shows U of M still remaining near the bottom of Big 10 decarbonization efforts- December 2021. See  VCN December 14, 2021 email to President Schlissel and U-M Regents;

VCN delivers 5 webinars to the U-M community (2020 - 2022) to build awareness entitled: 

• 1) Call to Action from U-M’s COP26 Delegates; 

• 2) Managing Institutional Change; 

• 3) Progress at Leading Peer Universities; 

• 4) A Just and Equitable Plan; and 

• 5) Financing Options.

VCN engages PCCN teams and co-chairs with expert perspectives from across VCN’s network and provides comments on PCCN Interim Report in Fall 2020.

VCN meets with individual Regents to recommend implementation of PCCN recommendations and characterize the role of senior leadership.

VCN drives urgency for implementing PCCN recommendations and provides comments on the PCCN Draft Final Report- April  2021   

• VCN & 24 MI Environmental groups urge PCCN implementation

• VCN comments on PCCN Final Report

Outcome:  May 2021 Regents approve PCCN recommendations and commit Ann Arbor, Flint and Dearborn campuses to carbon neutrality goals. Information here.

VCN leadership meets regularly with the U-M CFO & Executive Vice President as of March 30, 2022. Occasional meetings with the Provost & Executive Vice President follow. VCN advocates for executive CN leadership to lead implementation. 

VCN convened 17 faculty, staff and alumni climate change leaders on June 2, 2023 to engage in a Vision 2034 Focus Group hosted by the U-M Office of the Executive Vice President & CFO and to inform the development of the current Look to Michigan campaign.

VCN Leadership Team members meet with former U-M President Ono in January 2023 (and again on April 7, 2025 to press for urgent climate action and formation of an executive CN leadership team.

Outcome: Three CN Executive Leaders (ELs) are appointed due in some part to VCN advocacy:

• T. Anthony (Tony) Denton, Michigan Medicine- Senior Vice President and Chief Environmental, Social and Governance Officer (Feb 1, 2023)

• Shana Weber, U-M Associate Vice President for Campus Sustainability, Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Sept 5, 2023)

• Shalanda Baker, U-M Vice Provost for Sustainability & Climate Action (Sept 1, 2024)

VCN begins meeting regularly with newly appointed CN executive leaders.

VCN served as a catalyst to the formation of Michigan Medicine’s Climate Voices (MMCV) that came together in early 2024 and is recognized by Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action.

VCN Leadership Team members and U-M students continue to speak at Regents meetings advocating for funding and rapid implementation of U-M’s  Carbon Neutrality plans  (May 2018 through 2025).

 VCN actively engaged in development of first annual U-M Climate Week sessions (Summer - Fall 2025).

VCN continues regular meetings with CN Executive Leaders and occasionally with the Provost and CFO requesting urgent actions to decarbonize U-M. We advocate for:

• Improving communication and transparency by U-M leadership on progress toward CN goals.

• Developing robust cross-campus/cross-discipline integrative mechanisms to strengthen CN implementation and meet the PCCN timeline for reducing Scopes I-III emissions.

• Appointing CN/Sustainability Advisory Committees as recommended in the March 2021 PCCN Final Report

VCN is working to align the planned U-M/Los Alamos National Laboratory Data Centers with U-M decarbonization goals. (Fall 2025)

• VCN focuses on 4 issues: 

  • energy use, 

  • water use, 

  • environmental justice implications, 

  • need for convener within U-M to bring key leaders together to optimize this data center
    

• VCN submitted a letter to President Grasso and the Regents in August 2025 advocating that the large Data Centers being planned for Ypsilanti be developed as carbon neutral facilities and provide true benefit to the local community.  
  

• VCN convenes on-line meeting with the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) data center experts and leading Michigan environmental organizations to better understand the impacts of data centers and how best to have impact.   A model for minimizing carbon emissions from data centers by socially just means can be found on this ELPC Thinks informational video.
  

• VCN is preparing to meet with U-M President Grasso on December 12, 2025.