Julie Sentman | April 8th, 2025
2024 has been confirmed to be the warmest year on record.1 Spoiler alert, 2025 will likely continue this warming trend.2 While this may be influenced by natural climate fluctuations, the heat exceeds expectations. Based on the average global temperature over the last decade, the Earth is now at least 1.2℃ above the pre-industrial baseline (before 1850).3 The impact of this increase can be felt by every individual on the planet, if not directly by droughts and natural disasters, then indirectly through the economy (Fig. 1). Across the US, consumers are seeing grocery prices increasing, and it’s not all due to government action. Droughts, water shortages, and plant and animal diseases are driving up the prices as well. Another method of indirect impact is that taxpayers are having their funds allocated to disaster relief.4 In 2024, the National Centers for Environmental Information recorded 27 weather and climate disasters in the US that cost over $1 billion each.4 These disasters will only increase as global temperatures continue to rise, so the need to counteract this is imperative.
Figure 1 – Graphic demonstrating the challenges we face with climate change and adaptations that can diminish the effects of the challenges. (Source: Scientific Infographics, Gabriela Montorzi)
In response to the urgency of climate change and a need for action, UMass created UMass Carbon Zero (Fig. 2). The mission is to become a leader of carbon mitigation efforts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to educate future leaders in sustainability.6 Former Chancellor Subbaswamy created a campus Carbon Mitigation Task Force to assess the feasibility of making UMass carbon-zero. Previous projects listed by the UMass Carbon Zero website include the “Central Heating Plant”, which was opened in 2009, and “Green building guidelines”, which was implemented in 2010. However, the university has recently come under fire from faculty and union representatives for its inaction and lack of transparency. This scrutiny is not unwarranted, as UMass is reported to be responsible for 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions among Massachusetts state agencies, and the current pace of action is insufficient to meet the urgency of the situation.7 The current projects, as listed on the UMass Carbon Zero website, include installing solar power, hosting a carbon literacy project, conducting “geotechnical tests”, designing new buildings to be carbon zero, and creating proof-of-concept pilot projects to replicate moving UMass to carbon-zero.
Although work has been done since the initiative was presented in 2022 by former Chancellor Subbaswamy, the actions have been few and manipulated to appear better through “greenwashing”.
Figure 2 – Construction of a new computer science building at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, featuring the Carbon Zero initiative.
Greenwashing is a term to describe using misleading statements about products, actions, or benefits to appear more environmentally responsible than in reality.8 In this case, UMass created an initiative to achieve a goal while continuing to indirectly invest over $1 billion in fossil fuels.9 Their overuse of the term “carbon zero” is misleading as well, as it indicates the amount of carbon dioxide released by UMass is balanced by the amount removed from the atmosphere, resulting in a net zero footprint.10 However, their primary goal is to power the campus with 100 percent renewable energy, which may be possible for UMass, but does equate to a net zero footprint. Net zero includes more than just direct energy use, but also carbon emissions from waste management, type of food provided, travel, and fire suppression to name a few.11 Both terms are used in the same space on the UMass Carbon Neutral website. In contradiction to both goals, as of January 2025, UMass has been reported to be using “renewable diesel” at the central heating plant, as opposed to renewable solutions.12 A letter by the Faculty Senate states “the fuel known as renewable diesel has unacceptable performance in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, local co-pollution and global dispossession and hunger…we are particularly concerned that the process leading to this decision is not consistent with the principles of transparency and shared governance that underpin UMass Carbon Zero“. Although renewable diesel is considered to be advantageous for its lower greenhouse gas emissions, the actual amount of emissions varies and in the case of UMass, is unknown. Along with that, renewable diesel is much higher in cost and its sourcing is often not sustainable.13
UMass must take strong action on all fronts to increase campus sustainability. Not only from a more aggressive switch to green energy sources, but also by improving travel congestion, waste disposal, and capturing/storing carbon dioxide. The latter would be beneficial for UMass to look into, as their indirect funding of weapons companies and fossil-fuel industry giants would necessitate carbon removal for a true net-zero rating.9 Current initiatives that improve waste management are student-created and run projects, such as New2U, which has now opened a year-round store in Hampden Commons.14 To make a large impact that can rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, administrative regulations must be implemented. It may feel as though there is little to be done to push for faster progress, but there are ways we can push for more action.
Students have led the largest pushes for change, notably demonstrated at the University of California, Berkeley.15 In the spring of 1985, students organized campaigns to demand that the administration divests their 1.7 billion dollars they held with companies that did business in South Africa. After a strong fight, and support from the California government, in June of 1986 UC Berkeley established a plan to divest their holdings from South Africa, and by 1990 the South African apartheid began to be dismantled. Although the fight against climate change seems to be too large to fight, there is plenty that we can do to push for sustainability from UMass.
Here are some actions you can take to promote progressive action against climate change, as well as actions you can implement to reduce your personal carbon footprint and instigate change.
- Support the Massachusetts Society of Professors, which launches petitions and work directly with administration to further their campaigns.9
- Support local businesses, buy local agriculture, shop at local thrift stores like New2U.
- Join sustainability clubs! Just your support and signature is enough to gain more power and influence with the UMass administration.16
- Learn the campus and community waste guidelines and abide by them, particularly when you are directly in control of how you dispose of waste. For example, recycled food or drink packaging must be emptied and rinsed before disposal to avoid contamination of an entire group of recycling. Many compostable materials are not actually compostable with adjacent composting facilities, so be sure to research what is allowed.
- Engage with your local government! The Amherst town page has sustainability guides and resources that community members and college students alike can utilize.
References
[1] Block L., Jacobs P. “Temperatures rising: NASA confirms 2024 Warmest Year on record.” NASA. NASA. January 10, 2025. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/temperatures-rising-nasa-confirms-2024-warmest-year-on-record/#:~:text=Watch%20on,Credit:%20NASA/Grace%20Weikert
[2] Young, C., & Mendez, B. (2025, January 10). Where Americans stand on climate change heading into 2025. IPSOS. https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/where-americans-stand-climate-change-heading-2025
[3] United Nations. (n.d.). Climate Action Fast Facts. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/key-findings
[4]“What Is the Disaster Relief Fund?” Peter G. Peterson Foundation. November 15, 2024. https://www.pgpf.org/article/what-is-the-disaster-relief-fund/
[5] Smith, Adam B. (2020). “U.S. Billion-dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, 1980 – present” NCEI Accession 0209268. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. Accessed February 23, 2025. https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7273.
[6] “Our path to net-zero carbon emissions.” UMass Carbon Zero, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Accessed February 23, 2025. https://www.umass.edu/carbon-neutrality/
[7] “A Legacy of Sustainability Continues”. University of Massachusetts Amherst. Accessed February 23, 2025. https://www.umass.edu/gateway/umass-stories/legacy-sustainability-continues#:~:text=Due%20to%20its%20size%2C%20the%20campus%20is,our%20sprawling%20campus’s%20reliance%20on%20fossil%20fuels.
[8] United Nations. (n.d.-b). Greenwashing – the deceptive tactics behind environmental claims. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/greenwashing#:~:text=By%20misleading%20the%20public%20to,delay%20concrete%20and%20credible%20action.
[9] Climate and Environmental Justice. Massachusetts Society of Professors. (n.d.). https://umassmsp.org/campaigns/climate-and-environmental-justice/
[10] United Nations. (n.d.). For a livable climate: Net-zero commitments must be backed by credible action. Climate Action. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/net-zero-coalition
[11] Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.-e). Simplified GHG Emissions Calculator. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/simplified-ghg-emissions-calculator
[12] ‘Renewable Diesel’ use at UMass runs into climate-based opposition. Daily Hampshire Gazette. (1.31.2025). https://www.gazettenet.com/Faculty-members-others-at-Amherst-campus-raise-concerns-with-UMass-Carbon-Zero-initiative-and-use-of-diesel-fuel-at-central-heating-plant-59188136
[13] U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.). Renewable diesel. Alternative Fuels Data Center: Renewable Diesel. https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/renewable-diesel#:~:text=Fuels%20Data%20Center-,Benefits,also%20produce%20sustainable%20aviation%20fuel.
[14] UMass Amherst. (2025, February 18). New2U Thrift Store Now Open in Hampden Commons. Facilities & Campus Services : Administration & Finance. https://www.umass.edu/facilities/news/new2u-thrift-store-now-open-hampden-commons
[15] Bernhardt, A. (2010, May 2). University of California Berkeley Students win divestment against Apartheid South Africa, 1985. Global Nonviolent Action Database. https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/university-california-berkeley-students-win-divestment-against-apartheid-south-africa-1985#:~:text=In%20the%20spring%20of%201985,the%20consensus%20of%20all%20members.
[16] UMass Amherst. (n.d.). Get involved : Sustainable UMass. Sustainable UMass : UMass Amherst. https://www.umass.edu/sustainability/get-involved