MEMBERSHIP

UC3 universities commit to:

• Taking bold action on climate change and delivering on the most ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement by making plans to constrain global average temperature rise below 1.5°C, increasing resilience, and improving inclusivity

• Implementing strategies included in the 2020-2025 UC3 Strategic Plan, annual progress reporting, and payment of a $5,000 (USD) annual Coalition facilitation dues

Additionally, UC3 member universities are encouraged to actively participate in collaborative, cross-Coalition initiatives (e.g., working groups, research grand challenges, peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing, etc.) and regular Coalition-wide activities (e.g., quarterly liaison calls, annual summits, etc.)

Benefits

As a member of UC3, faculty, researchers, and staff have the opportunity to accelerate climate action efforts on campus, in their communities, and as a global coalition by connecting with counterparts from peer institutions, sharing knowledge and best practices, and collaborating on the development of new resources that help scale action beyond what individual universities can achieve on their own. Additionally, UC3 members have access to exclusive UC3 events (e.g., annual UC3 Summit, affinity/working group meetings, and research roundtables), and senior leadership can use the UC3 to connect with other UC3 presidents, chancellors, or rectors for high-visibility and high-leverage events, as well as government leaders, business CEOs, and other executives that share a commitment to addressing the global climate challenge.

As a part of UC3, members are also connected to other Second Nature programs like the Climate Leadership Network and have access to all of the climate services offered to members by the organization, including:

• Access to external grant funding that supports campus climate goals and extends the impact of climate action efforts like the Climate Solutions Acceleration Fund

• Free tools and resources provided by Second Nature staff to help universities meet their climate goals like the Solution Center, guidance on resilience assessment and planning, and Internal Carbon Pricing Toolkit

• Access to Second Nature staff experts for assistance with climate action planning

• Opportunities to participate in additional working groups on critical climate action topics like climate resilience and carbon offsets

• Access for university presidents, chancellors, or rectors to the presidents-only track at the Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit

• Increased visibility of campus climate action through leadership opportunities in international activities like the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) and Second Nature’s recognitions and awards, which resonate with university donors and alumni

Eligibility Criteria

Leading research universities are eligible to join UC3 if the following criteria are met:

• The university president/chancellor/rector has pledged to reduce their university’s institutional carbon footprint, and their commitment is consistent with objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Under2 MOU for subnational climate leaders

• The university is a leading research institution as designated by the R1 classification (Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education) or equivalent classification/ranking

• Acknowledgment of support and participation from the president, chancellor, or rector’s office and the designation of university liaisons that can support regular engagement with UC3

• Designated liaisons are able to participate in regular UC3 events (e.g., quarterly liaisons calls, annual summits) and encourage broader engagement in other Coalition activities (e.g., working groups, research grand challenges, peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing, etc.) by other members of the university