Focus and Impact (2018-2025)

 Consistent with our mission, VCN works to ensure U-M leadership remains committed to implementation of the PCCN's goals in a timeline consistent with the urgency of the climate crisis, especially during changes in university leadership 

 

    • 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, authors at the U-M Energy Institute provided a June 2018 White Paper entitled Toward Carbon Neutrality at the University of Michigan to President Schlissel. 

    • 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 presented to the PCCN and the Regents by a VCN speaker in April 2019.

    • VCN sends a Faculty and Staff Petition sent 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 remaining at the bottom of Big 10 decarbonization efforts- December 2021. See

    • VCN delivers 5 webinars to the U-M community including: 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. (2020 - 2022)

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

    • VCN meets with individual Regents on implementation of PCCN and provides recommendations.

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

    • 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 U-M Executive Vice President and CFO beginning October  2021. Occasional meetings with Provost follow.

    • 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.

    • 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 served as a catalyst to the formation of Michigan Medicine’s Climate Voices (MMCV) that came together in early 2024.

    • At least 10 members of the VCN Leadership Team have spoken to advocate for Carbon Neutrality at Regents Meetings (May 2018 through 2025). 

    • VCN members were actively engaged in development of first annual U-M Climate Week sessions (Sept 7 - Oct 5, 2025).

    • VCN meets regularly with the CN Executive Leaders and continues to occasionally meet with the Provost and CFO. Our advocacy is focussed on:

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

      • Developing integrative mechanisms to enable CN ELs  (change EL to just CN leaders) to rapidly drive 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 with U-M administrators and leading regional environmental organizations to advocate for aligning planned Data Center operations with U-M decarbonization goals, sustainability, and environmental justice. 

      • 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.

      • A potential model for minimizing Data Center carbon emissions and shifting burdens of increased energy costs to Data Center operators is presented in an Environmental Law and Policy Center webinar entitled, Clean Energy & the Data Center Dilemma.