About Us
We are committed to supporting the Rutgers community as we work towards a more just, sustainable, and resilient future for the planet and all its residents.
Vision
The Office of Climate Action (OCA) will ensure achievement of the overarching goal of Rutgers’ Climate Action Plan: mobilizing Rutgers’ academic, operational, and economic capacities to advance just, equitable climate solutions and help achieve national net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050.
Mission
The Office of Climate Action was created in Sept 2021 to:
- Advocate for climate action and sustainability at the highest levels of University leadership
- Provide oversight and accountability for and, where necessary, facilitate Climate Action Plan implementation
- Communicate about and engage internal and external stakeholders in the University’s climate action and sustainability efforts
- Oversee regular updating of the Climate Action Plan
The Office is focused on climate action – specifically, the university’s actions to mitigate its own emissions and increase its own resilience and sustainability, as well as efforts to leverage those actions to advance (a) the university’s academic mission and (b) climate action and climate-positive, just, equitable, sustainable economic development at a community, state, and national level.
Core Values
Climate Justice: Address legacies of inequality, ensuring processes and outcomes prioritize historically disadvantaged groups and minimize barriers to self-determination for all community members.
Civic Responsibility: Be of service in all communities to which Rutgers claims membership by building internal, local, national, and global partnerships based in mutual respect and trust.
Actionable Scholarship: By integrating Rutgers’ operational and academic strengths, ensure University climate action is based on scientifically and technically credible analysis and effectively achieves our climate goals, and deploy our campuses as living laboratories to innovate, test, and communicate climate solutions.
2022-2023 Goals for the Office of Climate Action
- Submit to AASHE STARS for the first time
- Launch a preliminary public-facing dashboard
- Host monthly webinars led by operational CAG co-chairs
- Publish a monthly newsletter
- Develop a student ambassador program