Environment, climate & sustainability

Advance knowledge, innovation and stewardship to help communities protect and sustain the natural systems we all share.

Researchers waste-up in a body of water in a swamp

Empowering a healthier future

Environment, climate and sustainability initiatives connect research, teaching and public service. Through discovery, collaboration and student opportunity, Carolina helps communities shape practical solutions.

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Flowing Together: Restoring NC’s Drinking Water

An interdisciplinary group of UNC-Chapel Hill scientists and engineers are deploying and evaluating technologies that filter “forever chemicals” linked to a range of health problems from our drinking water.

Your support in action

Three people stand in the street holding heat sensors and their covers.

That’s heat

Researchers at the Data-Driven EnviroLab are finding ways to cool us down. 

Portrait of person wearing suit and tie against a blue and white argyle backdrop.

Ask a Professor: Jason Surratt on potential air pollution from harmful algal blooms

The environmental sciences and engineering professor is working to understand how organic compounds emitted into the atmosphere get transformed as other air toxins.

A group of faculty and students stand on the shoreline in the Galapagos with a supine seal in the foreground.

A royal first year

Carolina students spent a month in the Galapagos Islands, participating in cross-disciplinary research and experience life alongside island residents thanks to a program funded by a gift from the Royal Caribbean Group.

Support environment, climate & sustainability initiatives

Invest in a more sustainable future. Support research, teaching and student experiences that help communities respond to environmental change. 

UNC Sustainability Fund

Supports Sustainable Carolina, UNC-Chapel Hill’s central hub for advancing sustainability by connecting campus operations, academics, and research, tracking progress, and engaging the community in hands-on efforts to reduce environmental impact and promote long-term well-being.

Botanical Garden Foundation

Provides support for the greatest operational needs.

Center for Public Engagement with Science

Supports a network of field sites through semester-long, immersive experiences in North Carolina and abroad where students live and learn in diverse ecosystems — from mountains to coasts to urban environments while advancing education, research, and community engagement.

IE Director's Fund

Supports the director in expanding strategic partnerships with academic collaborators, advancing innovative research and educational initiatives, and fostering meaningful engagement with local stakeholders on critical environmental challenges.

Contact us

Have questions or want to explore how your giving can make the greatest impact? We welcome the opportunity to connect and learn more about what inspires you. Reach out to start a conversation about your philanthropic goals and how you can support environment, climate & sustainability initiatives.