Park University, MO Climate Commitment
Type: Policy
Status: Adopted in 2008
Source File: http://www.park.edu/climatecommitment/
Description:
Advancing to the next step to a climate neutral campus, Park University President Beverley Byers-Pevitts, Ph.D., has joined more than 540 other college and university presidents in formally committing to sharply reduce and eventually eliminate the global warming emissions of their respective universities. President Byers-Pevitts also pledged to work with faculty to integrate sustainability into Park's curriculum thereby better serving Park's students, and fulfilling Park's obligation to help create a thriving, ethical and civil global society. The Commitment was made last June at a Climate Commitment Summit of higher education leaders in Washington, D.C.
"Global warming is a defining challenge of our time. The world's leading scientists have ended the debate: emissions caused by human beings are responsible for climate change that will threaten the planet's ecosystem, the world economy and the lives of millions," said President Byers-Pevitts. "Human activities are responsible for the problem, and working together, humans have the capacity to solve the problem. That means working to reverse global warming. Park University is committed to leading the way to sustainability for our students and our community. This world is in the hands our students."
Park will create a comprehensive institutional action plan to move the University toward climate neutrality. Even before the adoption of such an action plan, Park is moving forward to meet its commitment by building a 250 bed student residence hall to LEED Standards.
These efforts build on Park University's ongoing commitment to sustainability, including the requirements of the University's strategic plan, Explorations and Transformations 2012: Access to Excellence, that future development be undertaken utilizing planning principles that encourage a healthy, attractive environment based upon sustainable design principles; as well as the requirements of the new student housing design guidelines to select environmentally sensitive building materials.