Campuses Showcase Their Climate Smarts

Five new colleges and universities in the region have recently stepped up to demonstrate the kind of leadership on climate issues that the Northeast is becoming known for. The presidents of Colgate University of Hamilton, NY; St. Joseph College of Hartford, CT; Eastern Connecticut State University; Connecticut College; and Colby College of Waterville, ME, have all signed on to formal agreements to work with Clean Air-Cool Planet, in efforts to reduce campus-wide greenhouse gas emissions.

As a participant in CA-CP’s “Campuses for Climate Action” program, each school agrees to:

• Complete a campus greenhouse gas inventory;
• Raise awareness about the importance of addressing climate change within the campus community;
• Consider a greenhouse gas reduction target;
• Develop and implement a strategic plan that includes policies and programs to meet that target;
• Monitor progress over time and incorporate emissions reduction goals into long-term campus planning and reporting practices.

“We’re pleased to see such high-level recognition at these learning institutions of the role that higher education can and must play in the regional process of concerted climate change action,” said CA-CP Executive Director Adam Markham, of the new partnership announcements. “Presidents Rebecca Chopp, William Adams, David Carter, Winifred Coleman, and Norman Fainstein are setting a crucial standard for their peers, by showcasing the capacity of college campuses to lead the charge in both emissions reductions and in doing what comes naturally at universities—challenging members of their community to acquire and apply increased knowledge on relevant social issues.”

Colgate University President Rebecca Chopp, who held a formal signing of that school’s partnership with CA-CP on Earth Day, declared at the ceremony, “While we are already doing a lot [on environmental issues], it is our responsibility to go further to help our campus become even stronger.”

Colby President William D. Adams echoed this theme of responsibility when commenting on Colby’s new partnership with CA-CP, noting, "In the 1970s Colby was a national leader in adopting environmental studies and environmental science as academic disciplines, and the college has made significant progress addressing a wide range of environmental concerns in recent years. This partnership recognizes current and past efforts by the people of Colby to be responsible stewards of our environment, and it will spur the college to explore new strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with our operations going forward."

The role of colleges and universities as huge potential contributors to climate change solutions is being increasingly recognized. As research resources, as breeding grounds for creative new approaches and for “learning by doing” experiences, and as social institutions that collectively emit a substantial amount of the world’s carbon pollution, higher education entities have many opportunities to demonstrate climate leadership. If you’d like to learn more, or get your campus involved, go to http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/for_campuses.php or contact Ned Raynolds at nraynolds@cleanair-coolplanet.org.

--Jennifer Andrews