Between achieving a 46% reduction in carbon emissions since 2009, replacing 92 inefficient ultra-low temperature freezers in labs, adding four electric vans to Penn Transit’s fleet, and much more, the University of Pennsylvania has been meeting the goals of the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 (CSAP 3.0), the plan for 2019-24.

In 2021, President Joe Biden set a target for the United States to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas pollution from 2005 levels by 2030. And Penn is set to surpass the goal six years early, says Nina Morris, director of Penn Sustainability. When a solar project comes online in January, the drop in emissions will reach approximately 60%. The project is part of a power-purchase agreement Penn signed in 2020 for the largest solar project in the state.

“While the climate emergency is one of the largest challenges in front of us, here at Penn, we are uniquely positioned to bring together global and local knowledge to create a community that builds solutions together,” Morris said, updating the Board of Trustees recently about progress on CSAP 3.0.

Read more at Penn Today.