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Measuring Progress

Reaching a 2030 Carbon Neutral Campus

Steps to Carbon Reduction: Conservation leading to Renewable Energy leading to Carbon Offsets leading to Continued Reduction of Fossil FuelsCarbon neutrality for the W&M and VIMS campuses will be reached through a multifaceted approach, centering emissions reductions through efficiencies and shifting towards renewable energy for campus operations.Flexibility will be a key consideration, as policies and technologies are rapidly changing. As a last resort, responsible carbon offsets will be purchased to reach the last mile of neutrality, while the university continues work on mitigating these emissions past 2030.

Carbon Neutrality at W&M

Carbon neutrality at W&M is when the university has reached net zero carbon emissions for campus operations. Carbon neutrality will encompass the operational emissions W&M can directly control. Reaching carbon neutrality will not be the end of climate action. W&M will continue to evaluate and reduce the use of fossil fuels towards a more fossil fuel free campus.

Emissions not directly controlled by the university, and thus not within carbon neutrality, are addressed in the Community Action portion of the roadmap. This includes sources such as faculty and staff commuting, study abroad, and landfill waste, which will take more than university policy and infrastructure changes to address. The W&M Community Action portion of the plan includes both university actions and ways students, faculty and staff, can help reduce these types of emissions.

Explore the Data

Greenhouse Gas Emissions MTCDE