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American College and University President's Climate Commitment
The
American
College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) provides
framework and support for American colleges and universities to eventually
go climate neutral.
Purpose
On April 18, 2007, FSU president Jonathan Gibralter signed the
Presidents Climate Commitment. FSU officially became a charter member
of the initiative on Sept. 15, 2007, along with over 100 other institutions
of higher learning.
Overview
of the ACUPCC
Institutions signing the Presidents Climate Commitment are pledging
to eliminate their contributions to global warming over time. This involves:
- Establishing
an institutional structure to oversee the development and implementation.
- Completing
an emissions inventory every year.
- Developing
a climate neutrality action plan.
- Choosing
tangible actions for immediate impact.
- Integrating
sustainability into the curriculum.
- Reporting
on progress to the public.
In
fall 2007 Frostburg State University became a member of the Association
for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE),
a supporting organization of the ACUPCC.
Elements
of the Climate Commitment
Within
two months - Establish an Institutional Structure.
FSU has established a committee of faculty, staff, and students to guide
the development and implementation of the school's plan.
Within
two months - Identify
Tangible actions. Participants agree to select two or more tangible
actions from a list of seven, to be completed over two years. FSU pledged
to initiate the following actions:
- Adopt
an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of
ENERGY STAR certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.
- Begin
purchasing or producing at least 15 percent of our institution's electricity
consumption from renewable sources within one year of signing the ACUPCC.
- Participate
in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania competition,
and adopt three or more associated measures to reduce waste.
Within
one year and annually thereafter - Measure Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
FSU has adopted the Clean Air-Cool Planet greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
The inventory has been updated annually since 2002.
Within
two years - Submit a Climate Action Plan. Participants
set a target date and interim milestones for achieving climate neutrality.
The LGLG committee is currently developing FSU's Climate Action Plan,
which will be submitted by September 15, 2009.
Ongoing
- Report Status.
Signatory institutions will make their institutional structure, greenhouse
gas emissions inventory, climate action plan, and progress reports publicly
available by submitting them to AASHE.
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FSU's Climate Action Plan submitted in September 2009.
Learn more about FSU's plans for climate neutrality and sustainable actions. |
In
the News:
Sept.
15, 2009 - FSU submits its Climate Action Plan, with a goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030. FSU will begin implementation of all 49 strategic objectives in the plan within two years.
Sept.
9, 2008 - The FSU dept. of Physics and Engineering secured a $738,000
grant that will build
a Sustainable Energy Research Facility (SERF).
Aug.
5 , 2008 - FSU made the grade in having a green campus when
it received a score of 85 in the Princeton Review’s “Green
Rating” of colleges.
Jan.
17, 2008 - FSU holds Focus the Nation, a national teach-in
on global warming solutions.
June
14, 2007 - FSU
President Jonathan Gibralter joins the Leadership Circle of the ACUPCC.
April
25, 2007 - FSU becomes a member of the
ACUPCC. |
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