united airlines offers a quick fix to neutralize your carbon emissions for a trip from chicago to los angeles and back: $4.60 in carbon offsets. 

the round-trip economy ticket costs approximately $200, and the flights emit somewhere in the range of 0.46 to 1.19 tons of carbon dioxide, as much as 20% of the carbon emitted by the average person across the globe annually and 6% for the average american, according to our world in data, an online scientific database and publication.

carbon offsets are monetary investments into global projects that reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to counterbalance one’s emissions. these projects can range from a tree planting program in kenya to a landfill gas capture in ohio, according to terrapass, an offset program.

however, the offsets for the same flights could actually cost upwards of $20 with different agencies, according to estimates from other offset calculating websites such as atmosfair and myclimate. the difference could be due to the type of offset, its quality or its social impact—but it also raises questions on the consumers’ end.

yet what’s more concerning is united’s offsets are “not even real” in taking carbon directly from the flight out of the air, noted united ceo scott kirby in a capa meeting in march 2021. instead of banking on carbon offsets, united will focus on making air travel itself become carbon neutral, said united spokesperson rachael rivas. 

carbon offsets have grown in popularity, especially as a means to make up for commercial air travel, which releases more than 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to our world in data.

the decades-long increase in aviation carbon dioxide emissions corresponds to skyrocketing air travel. even though the total carbon dioxide emitted from aviation is growing, the relative proportion of global carbon dioxide emissions from air travel has remained steady.

improvements in aircraft fuel efficiency have allowed carbon dioxide emissions per passenger to plummet since the 1950s, when air travel began to boom. per traveler carbon emissions have fallen to half of what they were 20 years ago due to more fuel-efficient planes, according to the international air transport association (iata). the wider introduction of biofuels will allow the carbon dioxide emissions per passenger to shrink more.

“this is something that we can do to begin mitigating some of the damage that’s already been done, just to reduce some of the additional influx and emissions that we’re likely to see in the next 20, 30, 40 years and begin to start solving the problem,” said pat brewer, a senior analyst at green-e, a third-party company that checks offset certification methods. “it’s definitely not open-heart surgery [for climate change]. but i would argue it’s maybe a little bit more than a band-aid.”

carbon offset programs can be part of the compliance market or voluntary purchases.

government authorities mandate compliance programs, also known as cap-and-trade, and allow polluting companies to meet greenhouse gas emissions regulations by offsetting in another arena, said brewer. 

voluntary offset programs let individuals and companies make the choice to purchase offsets to account for their own carbon emissions, said brewer. offsets airlines sell to customers or that travelers buy independently fall into the voluntary category.

about 10% of americans have purchased carbon offsets, and more than half would consider purchasing them in the future, according to a survey of people who believe their carbon emissions affect climate change by ipsos, a global market research firm. 

carbon offsets encounter criticism from both a philosophical and a physical perspective.

philosophical objections to carbon offsets include allowing polluting companies to continue their practices while “greenwashing,” the lack of a long-term solution for polluting and the way in which offsets can serve as a “modern indulgence” for carbon-emitting consumers, according to the carbon offset guide. 

on a physical level, countless investigations have exposed the impacts of carbon offset programs. scandals range from projects displacing indigenous peoples, said sarah milne of the australian national university, to carbon certificates being awarded for projects planting non-existent trees, according to a report from the new england center for investigative reporting.

another criticism of carbon offsets is their inaccuracy, both in quantifying how much carbon one’s actions emitted and in assigning a dollar value to offset. 

differences in carbon offset prices are due to the nature of the programs. offsets such as methane capture are inherently cheaper (and are often bought in bulk by airlines) than projects such as cleaning cooking stoves in southeast asia, which have added health and social justice benefits, said brewer. despite flaws in numerical accuracy calculating carbon emissions and reduction, carbon offsets are still the best solution at the present, he said.

across the carbon emissions calculators, there was a range of potential carbon footprints on a round-trip economy ticket from o’hare international airport to los angeles international airport. the differences in estimates might be due to inaccurate aircraft types used in calculations, according to a quartz article. another explanation could be aircraft emissions are more potent in the sky than on the ground and calculators accounting for that theory differently, according to the united states general accounting office. 

the same round-trip flight yielded different results in how much one should pay in offsets, with united’s partner conservation international the lowest. some of the differences in prices are due to the conflicting estimates of carbon dioxide emitted. other price differences are due to the types of offsets themselves and their quality. carbon footprint and flygrn both provide a range for carbon offset prices, and the average price from the range is provided in the chart.

the best carbon offset projects are independently certified by companies that set their own standards. offset projects can pay a fee to join certification programs, whereby third-party auditors then assess the projects to see if they meet the program’s criteria, said robin rix, chief policy and markets officer at verra, an offset-certifying program. 

the certifiers green-e endorses are gold standard, american carbon registry, verra and climate action reserve, said brewer. green-e provides another level of protection by checking the methods those certifiers used to quantify the carbon offset projects in the first place, he said. 

in the same way a food bank doesn’t hope to operate forever, verra hopes to be out of business by 2050, said rix. a world where offsets are no longer needed is the ultimate goal, but offsets provide a necessary bridge, he said.

“the reality is, if we were to get down to that level [of net-zero emissions] right now, overnight, it would be, frankly, economically destructive, disastrous. and it would be socially chaotic. we’re talking mass unemployment. we’re talking about mass disruption. it’s just not something that the world can do overnight. and so we do see offsetting as a way to enable that transition to be made in a way while preserving environmental integrity,” said rix.

at the verra-certified rimba raya biodiversity reserve, initiatives include an orangutan release site (which the pictured path leads to), fire fighting brigades and fuel-efficient cookstoves distribution. the reserve, located in central kalimantan, indonesia, is a reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (redd+) project.

at the verra-certified alto mayo protected forest in san martin and amazonas, peru, community workers rescue, cultivate and eventually sell orchids from coffee plantations. the forest is also part of a redd+ project.

voluntary market experts anticipate a boom in international carbon offset demand as countries work to achieve their goals laid out in the 2015 paris agreement and as companies work to reach their net-zero carbon promises, said brewer. 

airlines such as delta, jetblue and united have partnered with carbon offsetting organizations and make up a large sector of the voluntary market. delta has purchased more than 12 million voluntary carbon offsets since 2013, according to its website. jetblue began automatically offsetting domestic flights in july 2020, according to a press release. united is a partner with conservation international but is also investing in a broad range of strategies to limit emissions including biofuels and carbon sequestration, according to its environmental commitment. 

corsia, the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation, is the next step for the airline industry. organized by the international civil aviation organization (icao), the scheme works to prohibit international aviation emissions from exceeding its 2020 levels, leading airlines to buy offsets to negate their excess emissions, according to the european union aviation safety agency. the vast majority of countries will participate by 2027, increasing demand in the offset market, according to icao.

“there’s a role for offsets. they just need to be as strong and certified and verified as possible,” said theodore rolfvondenbaumen, a communications manager for neste, a leading producer in sustainable aviation fuel. “but at the same time, they cannot be treated as an excuse to keep burning fossil fuels.”

beyond carbon offsets, the airline industry’s long-term sustainability goals involve transitions to biofuels, hydrogen fuel cell aircraft and, ultimately, electric aircraft.

alternatives to jet fuel are in the works, with biofuels in the beginning stages of its implementation. until wider administration of these new technologies, carbon offsets remain a solution to negate emissions from traditional aviation and to prevent airlines’ net emissions from exceeding 2020 levels.

consumers must weigh the social cost versus their private benefit when deciding to fly, said mark witte, a northwestern university economics professor. “if what you end up paying for the trip included the environmental damage, you’d probably be less likely to make the trip,” said witte. “there’s a certain lack of justice in that. people really rich can be like, ‘oh, well, i don’t care.’ and, a lot of other people like, ‘well, my mother’s really ill. i’d like to see her one last time. but i can’t afford it.’”

the bottom line is aviation emits a lot of carbon despite real progress and promising technological developments in the industry. as for your planned trip to california next month, carbon offsets provide a short-term solution for unavoidable carbon emissions. but consumers need to reduce what they can and offset what they can’t, said brewer.

“i’ve never met someone who has had a zero-emissions life. everyone has some emissions in their lives, even if it’s their bicycle. that aluminum comes from somewhere. the rubber comes from somewhere,” said rix. “and so i think anything that anyone can do to neutralize or to address their sources of emissions is a good thing.

manure, fish bones and charcoal. ancient native farmers in central america recycled these wastes in an intricate system to sustain water resources as well as replenish the land.

they used fire and ashes as a natural way to fertilize their land. with these sustainable systems, the natives developed their complex and diverse farming techniques and expanded the types of crops they cultivated.  these communities received all that they needed to survive from the land, and did as much as they could to make sure they gave back to their environment.

fast-forward to modern day panama, where the eco-town kalu yala strives to attain levels of sustainability like those who laid the groundwork for them in central america thousands of years ago. in a small valley, high up in the mountains, more than 100 members of the kalu yala community of interns and staff have started to establish irrigation systems for fish and water farming systems. they are also testing new crops that can flourish in the jungle’s hot and sticky climate, or during the daily downpour of the several-months-long rainy season. when it comes to sustainability, the members of kalu yala use the eco-town as a living laboratory for the best ways to reduce their carbon footprint and become as self-sustaining as possible. growing their own food and producing their own fuel from organic wastes helps meet that goal.

“we don’t want to be constantly reactive to (fixing) things that are unsustainable,” says rachael maysels, 26, the assistant director of biology, one of several internship programs at kalu yala. “we want to think about it ahead of time and act in advance of our actions so there is room for mistakes.”

in the conversation surrounding sustainability, carbon footprint and carbon emissions are topics that often come up. a person’s carbon footprint measures the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted as waste products due to consumption of materials — particularly fossil fuels.

“we’re not just trying to shoot for being carbon neutral at kalu yala. it’s trying to be carbon negative,” maysels says. “that’s something we can do with reforestation, pruning and turning (the plant matter) into charcoal. there are all these ways to kind of take one step further and it’s more of a proactive approach.”

maysels is helping the eco-town through the production of biochar, one of many ongoing programs that involve the interns that come to kalu yala from across the globe.

“it’s a simple idea and a simple method that can make a really big impact,” maysels explains. “it’s the idea of turning waste plant material, organic material into charcoal through a method of pyrolysis,” or the heating of materials without oxygen.

according to the united states department of agriculture, biochar is thought to have been used as a soil supplement in the amazon basin thousands of years ago. indigenous people created areas of “terra protta,” or “dark earth,” to regenerate fertilized soil for planting. by burying biomass, a combination of burnt wood and other organic materials, deep in the ground, the material heats up under pressure and goes through the process of pyrolysis, the thermodynamic decomposition of organic materials.

“almost like if you have a campfire, what’s left at the end is ash” – and char, maysels says. but when the burning process is buried, “you’re releasing all of the other material except for carbon.” this captures the carbon and prevents it from escaping back into the air, slowing down the release of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. this release prevention negates the carbon footprint that the burning of wastes would generate.

the creation of biochar also has other benefits, such as increasing soil fertility and water retention, as the ancients knew. “this really helps when it comes to the rainy season here,” maysels says. “we want to prevent erosion and hold on to as many nutrients as possible.”

but in the jungle, there are many challenges when it comes to accessing resources to make these experimentations with biochar more elaborate. “having a lot of the resources … to keep you going out here can be tough,” says ryan king, the director of biology at kalu yala.

“we’re trying to switch over everything to renewable energy.” biochar is one of the key ways to do so.  

to jump these hurdles, maysels finds that creativity and her college training in indigenous farming help make the process as simple, yet as effective, as possible.

“initially, my first design was a biochar system that took a lot of materials, which took some specific style hardware that couldn’t easily be found,” maysels says. “i think by setting limitations is when you get creative. restricting the ease of things, your brain starts to work around those obstacles.”

the process comes along with a lot of trial and error, but the community at kalu yala emphasizes learning from mistakes in experimentation. “here, they want you to do as much as you can and be creative, passionate, and make mistakes and keep doing it again,” king says. “having sterile and pristine equipment is definitely needed in certain fields of work, but you can’t control our systems. our earth systems have proven to be a lot more complicated with interacting factors. you have to study it through a different type of ecology.”

since joining the kalu yala staff in january and experimenting with biochar, maysels has combined her background knowledge with new and creative adaptations to progress toward reducing carbon from campfires. one solution involves digging a hole for the fires to hold more carbon in place.

“i graduated college in 2012 and did my field research part of my degree in the himalayas,” maysels says. “on a backpacking trip, i studied indigenous agriculture and high mountain ecology. i got launched into agriculture and since then have been to maybe about 20 countries and worked on maybe 18 farms in those countries, just studying internationally different styles of farming, food systems, small scale techniques, indigenous techniques.”

like the indigenous communities thousands of years before, the kalu yala systems are not perfect on the first try, but they strive to utilize what they can from the environment around them, reusing and replenishing as much as possible. the community members like to say it’s a culture of learning. but the learning at kalu yala would not happen without doing.

at sunrise, maysels heads down the dirt path to the area of campus with a large compost pile and stacks of burnt wood and organic waste ready for her to bury. she starts digging.

q: hello ruby, thank you so much for answering these questions for planet forward! firstly, does middlebury’s declaration of its carbon neutrality change anything for other schools? has the college ‘paved the way’ for other institutions?

a: middlebury’s announcement certainly pressures other schools to reach their goals. middlebury is now the largest college or university to achieve carbon neutrality, which is a pretty powerful statement. i think this especially pressures schools that are peers to middlebury, for example smaller private colleges in the northeast. schools with similar situations and climates can look at middlebury’s strategies as models for their own paths to carbon neutrality. that being said, i don’t think this is a major change for the majority of the network. each school has different factors influencing its emissions and different challenges to overcome.

q: how can schools like middlebury, that have achieved carbon neutrality, continue to show climate leadership going forward?

a: schools can always continue to improve their operations, reduce energy use, and implement more renewables. maintaining carbon neutrality each year is a major task that will require an ongoing effort by middlebury. another way that schools like middlebury can continue to show climate leadership is to reach out beyond campus boundaries to drive climate action in the local community and region. many of the universities that we work with are now signatories of the [second nature] climate commitment, which means they are committed to improving climate resilience with their community. schools can act as conveners for local and regional stakeholders, and work with community partners to assess climate vulnerability. we know that many regions in the u.s. are already feeling the impacts of climate change, and i think there is a lot of opportunity for schools to step up and provide leadership in terms of adaptation and resilience.

q: what other schools are on the path of carbon neutrality?

a: all of the schools that have signed either the carbon or climate commitment have a target carbon neutrality date and a commitment to achieve this.  some are much closer to doing so than others. there are at least 30 schools that have set their carbon neutrality data as 2020 or before. you can look at our public reporting system to see the list of schools that have upcoming carbon neutrality dates.

q: on january 20, 2017, the united states will inaugurate donald j. trump as president of the united states. his nominee to lead the epa, scott pruitt, has been called a “climate change denialist” by the new york times. do you believe that his nomination will change anything for institutions looking to become more ‘green’?

a: so far we’ve actually seen this to be a motivating factor for schools. over 220 college and university presidents and chancellors just signed an open letter asking the incoming administration to remain in the paris agreement, support climate and energy research, and invest in a low carbon economy. higher education sustainability professionals have been organizing themselves and discussing the best ways to ensure that faculty, staff, and students remain engaged and committed to supporting the causes we believe in. the currently proposed polices of the incoming administration are certainly discouraging, but i’m actually optimistic that this will be a call to action and drive more commitment to addressing climate change on a local and regional level.

q: if alternative ‘green’ energy incentives are reduced, (i.e. removal of federal tax credits for renewable energy projects or the purchase of energy efficient products), can colleges and universities realistically still become carbon neutral?

a: yes absolutely, although it may change some schools’ paths to neutrality. regardless of federal incentives, renewable energy is becoming increasingly more cost effective and competitive with fossil fuels, especially large-scale wind and solar projects. and on the state level there are many states committed to policies that support clean energy and investment in renewables. i really do think that investing in clean energy is good business.

q: what do you see as major developments in store for institutions looking to achieve carbon neutrality in 2017?

a: i think there is a lot of room for innovative finance and insurance mechanisms to drive large-scale investments in clean energy and energy efficiency. we’re already starting to see some of this. for example, we work with a few schools that are able to sell carbon credits and access revenue from the voluntary carbon market to finance further energy reduction projects on campus. i’ve also heard about companies that are willing to develop large-scale renewable energy projects because there are now firms that will carry a lot of the weather risk. i don’t know much about this type of partnership, but am excited to learn more! schools are always in need of capital for the large-scale investments in clean energy and energy efficiency that can truly bring them to carbon neutrality. it is certainly a challenge, but i am excited there seem to be more creative financial mechanisms to explore.

q: what institutional innovation in achieving carbon neutrality are you most excited about right now [i.e. what is the newest, coolest way to reduce carbon effectively]?

a: i wish there was a silver bullet! i’m actually pretty excited about the land use and forest carbon sequestration that middlebury used to achieve net carbon neutrality. so many schools have large amounts of land that they are not fully considering in their ghg [greenhouse gas] emissions. i think there are still many questions to resolve, but there is a lot of opportunity for improved land management and reforestation to sequester carbon. this isn’t to say that schools don’t also need to reduce emissions and implement renewables. however, i do think that a holistic approach to carbon neutrality and sustainability includes land use and its exciting to see some schools beginning to tackle that. there are also exciting examples of partnerships that enable larger innovative projects. as i mentioned before, the cost of renewables are very competitive – institutions can form partnerships like gwu [george washington university] and au [american university] have done and source a significant amount of their energy from new renewables projects.

q: anything else you wanted to share about carbon neutrality in 2017?

a: congrats to middlebury [on achieving carbon neutrality]!

this announcement also solidifies middlebury’s place as a leader in environmental studies and education, especially considering the idea that set the school’s carbon goal in motion started as a class project that made its way to the board of trustees.

so how did middlebury do it? here are the five top ways the college has innovated to reduce its carbon footprint and reach its goal:

1. biomass

middlebury college’s biomass gasification plant was opened in 2009. it gasifies wood, a process by which, instead of burning, draws gasses out of woodchips, which are fed into the system, and burns the gases emitted by the woodchips. the plant is manned 24 hours a day and features extensive exhaust filtering, which promises to remove 99.7% of particulates, meaning most of what the plant releases from its distinctive smokestack is water-vapor. while biomass gasification can be viewed as controversial, as it does require wood to be chopped and burned, middlebury considers it carbon-neutral since all their wood is harvested within 75 miles of campus and net forest growth in vermont typically far exceeds the harvest rate. the biomass plant accounts of 50% of middlebury’s reduction in carbon emissions.

according to middlebury college “… the biomass gasification plant exceeds the manufacturer’s original specifications” and actually saves the college between $1-2 million dollars per year in energy costs!

for a video tour of the plant, see https://vimeo.com/129550116. 

2. local, college-owned solar farm network

middlebury also utilizes a small network of solar projects that are located both on and in the close vicinity of campus. the original farm, called the “all earth solar farm,” is located just past middlebury’s science building, along the path to the college’s organic farm. the 143-kw plant is about five years old. in addition, the college is working on two more solar projects, the south ridge project (just 5 miles off campus), which just came online, and the wilber project (12 miles off campus), which will come online soon. middlebury’s solar farms will account for 8% of the college’s electricity use.

3. efficiency on campus

in addition to utilizing new forms of energy production, middlebury has taken steps to ensure that energy-consuming objects and appliances on campus also minimize their electricity use. projects include installing compact fluorescent and led lights across campus, new appliances, and installation of new variable-speed “smart” heating and cooling fans in dorms, offices, classrooms, and the main library.

4. permanent conservation of 2,100 acres on middlebury’s bread loaf campus

just under 12 miles away from campus is middlebury college’s bread loaf school of english. surrounding the school are 2,100 acres of pristine green mountain forest. thanks to a donation from middlebury alum and conservationist louis bacon, the college announced in 2014 that the forest would be conserved in perpetuity, never to be cut down. as a result, middlebury gained the ability to measure and register the land for their carbon sequestration. preliminary numbers suggest that for the first five years after the announcement and measurement, middlebury will receive offset credits for 25,000 tons of carbon per year. after five years, the college will be able to count roughly 3,000 tons of carbon offsets per year, which accounts for the yearly net growth of the bread loaf forest land. while the land does offset middlebury’s carbon output, director of sustainability integration jack byrne hesitates to call them an “offset,” rather pointing out that middlebury created an offset rather than purchasing one.

5. shredding the (carbon neutral) gnar at the middlebury snow bowl

in 2006, middlebury college snow bowl became the first ski area in the united states to go carbon neutral. the snow bowl is one of two remaining college-owned ski areas in the united states. just 12 miles from campus, the snow bowl has three ski-lifts, 17 trails, and 1,000 vertical feet of skiable area. carbon neutrality here was achieved through offsets, meaning that the college invested in protected land and sustainable energy projects across the united states. to do this, the college works with nativeenergy: “… a privately held renewable energy company that helps reduce co2 emissions by funding native american owned and operated wind turbine farms and family-owned farm methane projects.”

furman university traces its history of strong leadership on environmental issues back thirty years. more recently, in 2007, president david e. shi led the campus to become a charter signatory to the acupcc. this commitment set in motion a campus-wide conversation that has resulted in the deep, broad commitment to sustainability that exists today.

the acupcc as catalyst and benchmark

an audit this year of sustainable furman, the university’s comprehensive sustainability master plan, revealed that the university has completed more than half of the plan’s original 140 strategies. examples range from the launch of a sustainability science academic major, to installation of large-scale geothermal systems to reduce campus energy use, to development of a sustainability division within heller service corps to promote student volunteerism.

by fy2013, furman had reduced its gross emissions by more than 7% from baseline fy2007. this reduction was achieved despite construction of an expanded science center and acquisition of a 182-unit apartment complex. the university sustainability planning council continues to research and refine recommendations regarding energy efficiency measures, investments in renewable energy infrastructure, and development of offsets that will be required to meet our commitment of carbon neutrality by 2026. the progress furman has made in reducing its footprint is especially noteworthy in a region of the country where energy is relatively inexpensive and the regulatory framework limits investments in renewable energy.

sustainability as educational framework

furman’s david e. shi center supports the university’s academic sustainability efforts and coordinates meaningful, robust partnerships on campus and in the greater greenville community. its mission is to promote interdisciplinary research and teaching in support of sustainability. the center, now in its sixth year, has raised approximately $10 million in grants/gifts for the university. last april, an external review team labeled the center “best in class” nationally. the center has 54 faculty affiliates (over 20 % of furman’s faculty) and has hosted 125 funded student fellows. the center has supported faculty-student teams in their desires to conduct locally-based research and faculty to develop innovative community-based courses including those examining conservation, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and community-partner based research. the center has partnered with over 85 nonprofit, private, and governmental organizations.

centering sustainability:  the community conservation corps story

the shi center for sustainability spearheaded discussions about the ccc in 2009 when furman was looking for ways to create its own carbon offsets to meet acupcc-driven goals. the program ignited interest across campus due to the ways in which it would benefit the greater community. the nature of the program was a perfect way for the campus community to learn about the breadth and depth of what sustainability really means – connecting environmental, social, and economic concerns; taking the long view; and being problem-based and solution-driven.  

there were many early questions in setting up a first-of-its-kind program in south carolina.  what should a university’s role be in setting up a program like this? what should the scope of the program be (how many homes could be worked on at a time, which homes, where)? who should qualify (home owners, income level, etc.)? how would this all be funded (each home would take between $3000 and $5000 to weatherize assuming some volunteer labor)? how would energy audits be effectively conducted? how could students perform volunteer work that does not pose any significant risk?

in a mere four years, the ccc has not only answered the above questions, but has become a gem in the greater community and for the university – weatherizing more than 50 homes in the community to date, benefitting from 1,500 volunteer hours, and saving homeowners between 15-35% on their energy bills (most of whom live at or below the poverty line).

although university interest in the program was initially driven by its ability to generate carbon offsets, the many cascading benefits have become the heart of the ccc.  student center for sustainability fellows, volunteers, and classes have met and helped individuals that they were unlikely to interact with otherwise; have had opportunities to learn how to analyze electricity data and calculate economic, environmental, and social benefits; and have had real and positive impact in the community. students have conducted senior research and thesis work on the program impact through the university’s sustainability science major as well as other majors including economics.  the ccc has led to development of new courses, such as one on conservation and renewable energy. the ccc has provided an important means for furman to enrich town-gown relationships, through individual impacts and formal partnerships with entities like habitat for humanity of greenville county and the city of greenville, sc.

it is the university’s hope that others will see the “win-win” value in the ccc and consider developing programs that meet pressing needs in their own campus and greater communities.

key words:  green house gas emissions (ghg),  environmental defense fund (edf), temperature set points, climate action plan (cap),  energy consumption,  sustainability, carbon neutrality, maricopa community colleges

esf is trying to be a showcase in the development of a more sustainable college campus and promote the use of renewable energy resources.