The Campus Climate Action Plan refers to the collection of policies, programs, and practices that aim to or have had the effect of reducing  greenhouse gas emissions reductions on your campus.  Developing a plan that catalogues and describes this wide range of measures can be a daunting task, but this resource is intended to provide a suggested structure as well as guide you to the information resources you need to be successful.  

Having such a plan, in an easily accessible format (ideally, Web-based),  can be critical to increasing awareness and "buy-in" to the effort.  Steps taken years ago, such as the advent of a recycling program or energy efficiency upgrades to buildings, should all be included in your CCAP, along with potential new strategies like running the campus shuttle bus fleet on biodiesel.

A useful framework for organizing the CCAP is the results of your campus
emissions inventory. The completed inventory provides a snapshot, depicting from what sectors and in what quantities your emissions originate; use this to evaluate your relative opportunities to reduce your overall greenhouse gas emissions footprint.

The demographics and dynamics of every campus differ, and as a result there are many potential "roadmaps" for campus climate action initiatives. Strategies for developing and implementing them should  include making use of:

• faculty research interests and campus resources;
• student internships; and
•  academic requirements

A "critical success factor" that has emerged as more and more campuses take leadership on this issue is the importance of an institutional vehicle for discussing, vetting, recommending, and often implementing various climate actions.  Below are listed programs, offices or committees that engage key campus constituencies - students, faculty, administrators, staff, businesses and community leaders, and local organizations - in collaborative campus climate action efforts:

• UNH Office of Sustainability Programs - Climate Education Initiative
• Tufts University - Energy Affairs Council
• Middlebury College Environmental Council and Carbon Reduction Initiative Working Group
• Harvard Green Campus Initiative
• UVM Environmental Council
• Colby College Environmental Advisory Group
  
• Colgate University GreenStrides Steering Group
• UB Green (SUNY Buffalo)

Building and sustaining a successful process of climate action requires creativity, persistence and willingness to collaborate. Learn from the successes of other campuses. Work to identify and engage natural allies and stakeholders. Get the information and learn the language you need to educate, persuade, and act effectively. And while you're pushing for action here and now, help to plan for, and develop the infrastructure to sustain, broad-based long-term efforts.