on earth day 2008, knapp signed the american college and university presidents’ climate commitment, where the university committed to reducing its carbon footprint and measuring greenhouse gas emissions. in 2010 gw released an official climate action plan, setting its goal of being carbon neutral by 2040, and during knapp’s tenure the university has remained on track to reach that goal.

knapp said the most important act of sustainability that he has done is to “develop the leadership capacities of the students to be in this for the long haul.” students have wide-ranging interests on sustainability, which gw then fosters and cultivates the students to be able to go in the free market and work with any person, corporation, or government. one way that this has been done is through establishing sustainability as a minor which allows students “to see how everything is connected.”

the president also worked with corporations and governments to reduce their carbon output, and become more sustainable. a major collaboration that was done under knapp’s tenure is the capital solar partnership with american university and george washington hospital. these corporations created four solar farms that allow gw and the other partners to obtain half of their energy usage from solar. the energy from these farms is enough to power 9,000 homes — the equivalent of taking 18,000 cars off the road, and 85,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.  

gw also has become a trusted advisor to the washington, d.c., local government on how it should handle their run-off, by spreading what was done on gw campus to the surrounding area. these partnerships were done by both president knapp, and the board of trustees, which put sustainability first on campus. 

most recently, knapp signed on the university’s behalf the “we are still in” declaration in response to the united states’ withdrawal from the paris accord, along with what has grown to more than 300 colleges and universities, impressing that the university and its students, faculty and staff remain committed to the goals it committed to in 2008.

for over 100 years, massachusetts maritime academy has been preparing women and men for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. as the nation’s finest co-ed maritime college, mma challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. as a member of the cadet corps you will live, study, sail, work and play in an atmosphere that encourages you to be your best.

located on cape cod, at the mouth of the scenic cape cod canal, massachusetts maritime academy is the ideal college to pursue your love for the ocean, your concern for the environment, your interest in math and sciences, and your thirst for adventure.

the academy believes in learning through application and requires students to spend a portion of their academic program at sea or in internships or cooperatives. resident life is regimented, instilling in cadets honor, responsibility, discipline and leadership.

the academy signed the acupcc in september 2007 and has committed to work toward carbon neutrality. as the academy approaches its 125th birthday, the goals are attainable through the use of wind, solar, geothermal and combined heat and power technology, sustainable practices in recycling, cleaning, landscape management, energy and water conservation and, above all, teaching the next generation of sustainability leaders.

carleton college is proud to be a second nature climate leadership award finalist for the second year in a row. through formal adoption of its statement of environmental principles, carbon neutrality value statement, and climate action plan, carleton ingrained the value of sustainability within its operations, curricular and co-curricular programs. our 2013 video submission, “clean energy in our community” highlights areas where carleton has excelled in its commitment to campus sustainability and the american college and university president’s climate commitment (acupcc).

installation of a second wind turbine in fall 2011 reduced carleton’s purchased electricity by 25% and its scope 2 emissions by 18%. carleton’s electric vehicle charging station is the first of its kind in our county. student sustainability assistants champion many campus initiatives related to waste reduction, energy conservation, and sustainable food systems—including a student organic farm which sells produce directly to the campus food service provider. and carleton’s curriculum includes a popular environmental studies major and more than thirty courses related to sustainability. carleton college is proud to model these sustainable practices in our community while preparing graduates to confront the most challenging environmental issues of our time.

in spring 2012, western state colorado university student kyle brookens pioneered the opportunity for students to make a voluntary renewable energy contribution, in an effort to reduce wscu’s dependence on fossil-fuel energy, while reducing our carbon emission, helping western reach our goals set forth in the american college’s and university’s president’s climate commitment (acupcc). to date over 90% of western students are contributing to this fund.

william paterson university in wayne, new jersey, is committed to environmental sustainability and is proud to provide a positive example for its 11,500 students while leading by example for our surrounding community and beyond.

william paterson’s campus-wide solar panel installation is a dramatic and visible sign of the university’s commitment to the environment. the solar initiative, with phase one completed in 2010 and phase two beginning in spring 2012, ranks among the top ten largest installations at higher education institutions in the united states.

the university targets carbon neutrality as a goal and includes conservation efforts that integrate sustainability across the curriculum, such as a new bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability. this degree will unite areas of tangible study and research, and include courses in environmental science, biology, chemistry, mathematics, law, political science, and economics. graduates will be prepared with the interdisciplinary skills needed for careers in sustainability to meet the growing demands in academia, business, and government.

the conversion to smart buildings via upgraded energy management systems and use of electric maintenance vehicles has vastly reduced the university’s total energy consumption, as well as energy costs. in the past decade, the size of the physical plant has increased by 16.5 percent, while electric energy consumption was reduced by 30 percent and natural gas consumption by 50 percent.

in addition to this significant reduction in carbon gas emissions, the university has saved more than $17 million over the same time period through cost avoidance.

william paterson university continues to vigorously pursue energy efficiency initiatives and educational programs with the strong support of students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community leaders.

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sustainability is rapidly changing the face of nyu, the largest private university in the us, a community of 50,000 students, faculty and staff embedded in the heart of new york city. nyu’s climate action plan is a comprehensive strategy which seeks to engage the whole university community in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as effectively and rapidly as possible.

through a ‘silver buckshot’ approach — including a new, high-efficiency cogeneration power plant, the city’s first free bike-sharing program, rapid expansion of ‘living laboratory’ teaching and research efforts, and programs such as green grants and a sustainability task force designed to harness the distributed grassroots power of our community — nyu has already reduced global warming pollution by 33% in five years…

and we won’t stop until we reach our goal under the american college and university presidents climate commitment (acupcc) to achieve climate neutrality by 2040!

www.nyu.edu/sustainability

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at the heart of spelman college’s tagline, “a choice to change the world,” is the understanding that making a positive social impact means ensuring the health of the environment for future generations. recognized as a leader in sustainability, spelman is the first historically black college and university to join the u.s. green building council and the association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education. spelman is also the first hbcu to have a leed silver certified residence hall. as you can see, we are changing the world – from spelman blue to green!

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