College Presidents Sign up to Fight Global Warming
WASHINGTON — America’s colleges entered the fight against global warming this summer after more than 280 college and university presidents pledged to neutralize campus greenhouse gas emissions.
The presidents of 284 higher-education institutions signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment at a leadership summit in Washington that was organized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and environmental advocacy groups, ecoAmerica and Second Nature.
AASHE is a membership-based association of colleges and universities that advocates for sustainability in higher education in the United States and Canada . In addition to neutralizing the greenhouse gas emissions of higher education institutions, the climate commitment seeks to accelerate the research and educational efforts to help society address global warming and restabilize the global climate patterns.
The group plans to expand the climate commitment campaign and aims to persuade at least 1,000 higher-education institutions to enter the fight against global warming by joining the climate neutral initiative by 2009, officials say.
There are more than 4,000 higher education institutions in the United States . The group surpassed its initial development goal, which set a target of generating commitments from 200 school presidents prior to the public launch of the ACUPCC at the Washington leadership summit. To date, 325 institutions have endorsed the climate commitment program, according to the ACOPCC website.
Presidents from some of the United States most prestigious universities, including Cornell University in New York and the 10 campuses forming the University of California , have already signed the climate commitment.
Launched in June, the commitment calls for the colleges and universities to develop a comprehensive plan oriented to climate neutrality. Signatory schools are required to complete a full inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions within one year.
Within two years, participating institutions hope to develop a roadmap for becoming climate neutral, including target dates and specific actions that will achieve emissions benchmarks and goals.
In the interim, while the comprehensive action plan is being developed, schools are expected to enact at least two of seven initiatives that will achieve tangible reductions in emissions.
- Adopt USGBC LEED Silver (or equivalent) standards for all new campus construction and renovation projects.
- Adopt an appliance purchasing policy requiring Energy Star-certified products.
- Offset all emissions generated by air travel for institutional business purposes.
- Provide access to public transportation and encourage its use by faculty, staff, students and visitors.
- Produce or purchase at least 15 percent of electricity consumption from renewable sources, within one year of becoming signatory.
- Support sustainability shareholder proposals at companies in which the institution’s endowment is invested.
- Adopt at least three waste minimization measures specified under the national RecycleMania campaign.
Signatory institutions are required to make their emissions inventory, action plan and periodic progress reports publicly available through AASHE.
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment