Social Cost of Carbon

Mangrove-lined lagoon in Tabasco state, Mexico. — Mangroves line a lagoon in Tabasco state, Mexico. Photo by Octavio Aburto.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is committed to putting the principles of sustainability advanced by the University of California into practice.

To that end, beginning with the UNFCCC-hosted COP29 climate conference, members of the Scripps Oceanography delegation will personally contribute funds equal to the social cost of carbon (SCC) of the emissions incurred by their travel, specifically by the fossil fuel emissions associated with flights and other modes of transportation they will employ. Additionally Scripps Oceanography will contribute institutional funds to complete the per-traveler cost.

SCC is a science-based estimate, in dollars, of the economic damages to society that result from each additional metric ton of CO2 emissions. UC incorporates an equity-weighted SCC into university investment decisions, internalizing the societal costs of its infrastructure decisions into its financial decisions and resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions infrastructure.

Details of how UC calculates its SCC, US$261 per ton CO2-equivalent in 2024 for the United States, and background on the UC-wide initiative are available through the UC Santa Cruz Sustainability Office. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) carbon emissions calculator is used to estimate CO2 emissions for flight legs.