Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

Tom Kimmerer, PhD

Executive DirectorAASHE

The Sustainable Campus

Climate and Energy Challenges for Colleges and Universities

What is Sustainability?

• Sustain: maintain something, to make something continue to exist.

• Sustainability: The ability to make something continue to exist.

What is Sustainability?

• Living within the limits of natural and human resources

• Understanding the interconnections among economy, society, and environment

• Equitable distribution of resources and opportunities

The Brundtland Commission

• UN - World Commission on Environment and Development

• Our Common Future, 1987– aka The Brundtland

Report Gro Harlem Brundtland

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

What Makes Sustainability Different from Conservation?

• Encompasses– Social– Economic– Environmental

There is no longer any scientific doubt that every major ecosystem in the world is in decline.

Why Is Sustainability Important?

There is no longer any scientific doubt that present levels of energy and materials consumption cannot continue.

Why Is Sustainability Important?

There is no longer any scientific doubt we are on the brink of catastrophic climate change.

"Climate change is for real. We have just a small window of opportunity and it is closing rather rapidly. There is not a moment to lose…. We are risking the ability of the human race to survive.“ - Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, IPCC Chair

Why Is Sustainability Important?

These are challenges. Do we treat them as Threats or Opportunities?

Opportunities

• Materials put into our economy and still there 6 months later = 1%

• Global Waste = 500 Billion tons per year

Problem or opportunity?

Opportunities

Portion Pac made a business out of reducing waste•96% concentrate, reduce materials waste and shipping•Right mix – reduce number of different chemicals

•Boeing used Portion Pac to go from 1000 chemicals to 15

The role of the campus

The role of the campus

The campus should be the laboratory in which we invent a sustainable future.

The role of the campusThe Landlord-Tenant relationship is a

barrier to sustainability

The role of the campusThe Landlord-Tenant relationship needs to be replaced with a collaborative learning

relationship.

Campus CollaborationWhen implementing energy conservation programs, students and faculty should be

your allies.

Over 100 College and University Presidents have committed their campuses to reversing climate change.

• Initiate two or more of the following tangible actions to reducegreenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed. – a. Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at

least the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent. – b. Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase

of ENERGY STAR certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.

– c. Establish a policy of offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel paid for by our institution.

– d. Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors at our institution

– e. Within one year of signing this document, begin purchasing or producing at least 15% of our institution’s electricity consumption from renewable sources.

– f. Establish a policy or a committee that supports climate and sustainability shareholder proposals at companies where our institution’s endowment is invested.

Opportunities Abound

Colleges and Universities will become the laboratories in which we invent a sustainable future.

Resources

www.aashe.orgwww.presidentsclimatecommitment.org

Thanks to Hunter Lovins for inspiration and help with content.