The commission was formed in July, 2007, after President Steen signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. Plymouth State University joined a broad effort by more than 450 of our nation’s higher education institutions to address global warming by neutralizing their greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating research and educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.
Role of the Commission
The commission’s primary role is to oversee the process of complying with the agreement. The charge to the commission is also to make the PSU community more environmentally aware and to continue improving campus sustainability to address numerous environmental issues. As part of this effort, the commission created a plan by March, 2008 to achieve climate neutrality on the Plymouth State University campus and will facilitate the implementation of that plan.
Climate Action Plan
The PSU Climate Action Plan provides the institution with a road map for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, increasing the focus of sustainability across the curriculum, and enhancing research and community interaction. The report analyzes PSU’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, recognizes the University’s actions to date on reducing emissions, and outlines major changes in energy production and conservation measures that will enable PSU to meet its commitment of reducing emissions by 50 percent in 2025 and to fully eliminate emissions by 2050.
For More Information
For more information on the activities, minutes, and achievements of the commission, see the commission’s Green Up blog: “improving campus life while reducing PSU’s environmental footprint.”
