This commentary is by Justin Schwartz, chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder.
The State of Colorado has bold climate goals. Now comes the part that matters most: achieving them.
Work is already underway in communities across the state. From coal transition regions on the Western Slope to fast-growing Front Range cities facing pressure on water, energy and infrastructure, these efforts are practical, place-based and often complex. The University of Colorado Boulder has a responsibility to do more than research and educate. We have to help close the gap between ideas and action.
In our 150-year history, CU Boulder has shaped the science behind climate solutions, educated the next generation of climate leaders, innovated around sustainability and established our campus as a living laboratory for a healthier environment. Our campus is home to the nation’s longest-standing, largest and most accomplished Environmental Center. We were the first university to establish a recycling program and the first university to achieve the gold rank through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).
CU Boulder’s strong foundation can help propel Colorado forward. Our researchers work alongside federal partners, innovative national labs and industry experts to better understand the atmosphere, develop cleaner energy systems and model the global impacts of a changing climate. Yet this moment calls for more, including greater coordination, deeper connection to community needs and a stronger focus on real-world outcomes that benefit Coloradans.
To address the urgent sustainability challenges of our time, CU Boulder has outlined four primary goals: equip our students with the knowledge and skills to solve humanity’s most pressing sustainability challenges; transform our cutting-edge sustainability research into action; lead by example in our stewardship of sustainable campus operations, with the campus as a living laboratory; and partner with communities locally and globally, including our commitment to make Colorado the most sustainable state in the U.S.
These four goals are the focus of CU Boulder’s new sustainability strategic framework, which sets a unified and connected path from research and education to global impact. The Climate Action Plan for the CU Boulder campus was first drafted in 2009 and updated in 2024. It outlines steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to achieve carbon neutrality by no later than 2050. To reach those goals, we have developed a clear pathway to reduce emissions through our decarbonization project, expand fleet and transit electrification, and add significant new solar capacity. To date, we’ve reduced emissions by more than 17%. We are also strengthening coordination across campus, investing in expertise like the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education, which supports faculty in delivering sustainability education, growing experiential learning and improving opportunities and outcomes for all students.
Our Sustainability Research Initiative Fellows program invests in faculty whose work is directly tied to climate solutions, such as improving grid resilience and advancing water conservation strategies. These efforts advance knowledge and translate discovery into action where it matters most: in our communities. For instance, CU Boulder researchers are partnering with communities to strengthen resilience against increasingly severe wildfires, developing tools that help homeowners, local governments and emergency planners better understand risk, prepare infrastructure and recover more quickly after disaster.
CU Boulder is partnering with the state, including the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, to support coal communities as they navigate economic transition. This is grounded in locally driven strategies and in the realities of each community. This shift toward economic resilience is an example of how universities can contribute, not by prescribing solutions, but by involving students to partner with communities with data, research and long-term relationships.
We are also preparing students to enter a workforce that is dramatically changing but remains undersupplied. A recent state analysis found that Colorado will need tens of thousands more people across clean energy and climate-related fields in the coming years. These additional jobs are poised to help the state’s economy, but we must ensure that people have the skills necessary to reach our goals.
That is why we’re integrating sustainability across disciplines, including engineering, business, policy, science, humanities and the arts. Our responsibility is to ensure that every student graduates with the knowledge and skills to contribute to a more sustainable world.
Progress will depend on how well universities, state leaders, industry and communities can come together. The strength of Colorado’s climate response will be defined not just by our goals, but by our ability to collaborate. To push our collective efforts forward, we invite those in Boulder and across the state of Colorado to learn more about campus sustainability work. Join one of the many events and opportunities taking place at CU and in the Boulder community, and partner with us through conversation and connection. Learn more about our sustainability efforts.
Many of the most important decisions about infrastructure, workforce and investment — our climate future — are being made right now. The window to act is not abstract. It is immediate.
