Loras College, IA Commits to "Climate Neutral" Campus
Type: Policy
Status: Announced on 4/1/08
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Description:
Loras College President Jim Collins has committed to sharply reducing and eventually eliminating all of the college's global warming emissions, and accelerating the research and educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth's climate.
The pledge came with Collins' signing of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), joining the leaders of more than 500 other institutions across the country.
Through the work of Loras College's Sustainability Committee, by the end of the current academic year, Loras College will have in place and begin to implement a comprehensive institutional action plan to move towards climate neutrality. This plan will include recommendations in such areas as landscape and grounds, new building construction, demolition and renovation, energy consumption, food, purchasing, air quality and water usage, hazardous materials, waste management, transportation, outreach and education and carbon neutrality.
In commenting on the college's climate initiative, Loras President Jim Collins said, "These efforts will build on Loras' ongoing commitment to sustainability, which, as a natural outgrowth of its Catholic identity, will bear witness to careful, thorough, lasting and sustainable stewardship of all creation, for the sake of present and future generations and for the common good."
The Presidents' Climate Commitment is the first such effort by any major sector of society to set climate neutrality -- not just a reduction -- as its target. This undertaking by America's colleges and universities is inspired by efforts like the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership and other collective efforts by states and businesses.
"Colleges and universities must lead the effort to reverse global warming for the health and well-being of current and future generations," said Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University and a founding member of the ACUPCC Leadership Circle. "On behalf of all the signatories, I welcome President Collins to the commitment; we are honored and pleased to have him join us."
The ACUPCC is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth's climate. Under the guidance and direction of the Leadership Circle of presidents, the ACUPCC is being supported and implemented by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Second Nature and ecoAmerica.
Learn more at: http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.