UC San Diego: A Living Laboratory Where Sustainability Comes Alive

Sustainability is part of UC San Diego’s institutional DNA. It is an integral part of our university’s past and it is a top priority in our education, research and campus operations today.

Before UC San Diego was established in 1960, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Director and founding father of UC San Diego, Roger Revelle, warned that greenhouse gases from industrialization could endanger the planet. Soon thereafter, Scripps geochemist Charles David Keeling began his precise measurement of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which became known as the “Keeling Curve.” It is now known as “the most important geophysical measurement of the 20th century.”

Over the past five decades, UC San Diego has built on their pioneering climate change research by enhancing energy efficiency, alternative fuels, photovoltaic technology, renewable-energy storage, water conservation, green building practices and smart grid technology. The campus also purchases many of its resources, everything from paper to dining hall food, from sustainable-practice suppliers. These conservation practices now save the campus more than $8 million annually.

At UC San Diego, we’re equally dedicated to producing leaders who will find solutions to our most pressing environmental problems.  From economics to mechanical engineering and environmental systems, academic departments have incorporated sustainability concepts into majors, minors, internships, classes and a wide range of research experiences.

UC San Diego practices what it teaches. Today, our students, faculty and staff are building on the legacy of Revelle and Keeling through their commitment to sustainable practices, education and research, and by targeting zero waste by 2020 and climate neutrality by 2025. We are proud that our campus has transformed into a living laboratory where sustainability comes alive.