Achieving carbon neutrality on college and university campuses will require more than just new technologies. Behavior change programs are a highly cost effective method of reducing costs and carbon emissions; however most facilities and sustainability offices lack training in the social science of behavior change. This paper introduces readers to Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM), a systematic, empirically grounded approach to behavior change. A team of faculty, staff, and students used CBSM to develop the behavioral component of Oberlin College’s Climate Action Plan—targeted to eliminate 10–15 % of the College’s carbon emissions.