January 6, 2010
Dear Implementation Liaisons,
Happy New Year! As we begin the fourth year of the ACUPCC, we would like to take this opportunity to share with you how pleased we are with the progress of the initiative and thank you for all the work you do. As presidents, we know that the real work in implementing major initiatives like the ACUPCC is done by the staff, faculty, and students of our institutions. We also recognize the critical role of the Implementation Liaisons in championing, coordinating, and advocating this effort. We celebrate your commitment and hard work.
In less than three years, in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, 665 colleges and universities representing every kind of institution in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have committed to climate neutrality by becoming signatories to the ACUPCC. Together, we represent about one-third of the college student population. It is important to recognize that higher education is the first and only sector that has substantially committed to achieve climate neutrality and ensure that all graduates have the knowledge and skills to do the same. We are pleased that as of this writing, 130 schools have submitted climate action plans and 459 schools have completed GHG inventories. Seventy-three percent of signatory schools have fulfilled their commitments to date. We expect another 125 schools to submit climate action plans in the first quarter of this year.
As you know, solving the climate crisis may be the most difficult challenge faced by modern civilization and action by individual institutions is necessary, but not sufficient, to this work. The strength of the ACUPCC is in both the individual commitments of each signatory and the collective benefits of our ability to work together, learn from each other, hold each other accountable and publicly report on our progress. Many signatory schools are working together directly on various projects. Our efforts have opened up new funding opportunities, most notably the new University Sustainability Program of the Department of Education. Your work has increased the national visibility of campus climate action and is spurring action by other higher education institutions and other sectors. Our common achievements through our collective action is having a far greater impact than our individual work alone.
We have been fortunate to have the services of Second Nature and AASHE (and in the past, ecoAmerica) to provide the critical program support needed to ensure the success of the ACUPCC. This year we will be focusing on helping all signatories fulfill their commitments, expanding the number of participating schools, and continuing to advocate for other sectors of society to join us in moving quickly to address climate disruption and create a more robust and sustainable society and economy. We will continue to support your activities in doing the hard work of implementing the Commitment on our campuses by building on the resources and opportunities outlined on the ACUPCC website. In particular, we will be putting even more emphasis on helping our presidential colleagues to fulfill their critical role in providing the institutional support necessary for you and your efforts to engage the entire campus and successfully implement our climate action plans. If you are unclear on how to access any of these resources and/or opportunities, please contact Toni Nelson, ACUPCC Program Director, at tnelson@secondnature.org.
Finally, we are acutely aware of the financial strain that all of our institutions are under in this economic climate and we would like to express our appreciation to the 304 signatories to date who have contributed to the financial stability of the ACUPCC by paying dues for the 2009/10 academic year. As we all know, a program of this magnitude requires financial resources, and foundation and corporate sponsors cannot provide all of the necessary support for an ongoing initiative. In 2008 we decided to ask each of the participating presidents to invest in the ACUPCC by making a modest annual contribution to provide you with the support and resources you need. Funds raised from signatory contributions, foundation grants and corporation sponsorships are used to cover expenses associated with ACUPCC program management borne by Second Nature and AASHE. Financial information on the ACUPCC can be found on the website and in the 2009 annual report, which will be released in the first quarter of this year.
Thank you again for all of your hard work and leadership. This year the 2010 Climate Leadership Summit will be held in Denver in conjunction with the AASHE conference, and will include an evening event on October 12th, and Implementation Liaison and President working sessions on October 13th. We hope to see you there and look forward to another exciting year of working together.
With regards,
Members of the ACUPCC Steering Committee
| Michael M. Crow, Co-Chair | David Shi, Co-Chair | Mary Spangler, Co-Chair |
| C. Edward Balog | Esther L. Barazzone | Mark A. Emmert |
| Verna Fowler | Herlinda M. Glasscock | David Hales |
| Jaqueline Johnson | William Merriman | Horace Mitchell |
| G.P.“Bud” Peterson | William S. Pfeiffer | Thomas L. Purce |
| Judith Ramaley | Rosalind Reichard | Martha Saunders |
| Kathleen Schatzberg | Mary Spilde | Mitchell S. Thomashow |
| Timothy P. White |
Posted on January 6, 2010
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