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.

of the many approaches being taken we believe greening the city is of utmost importance. by incorporating nature within city structure, cities are reversing their carbon footprint and creating a healthier place for you to live. health bonuses come both physically and psychologically. the city of atlanta for example is currently under construction of a beltline project. this 22 mile loop around the city will connect over 20 parks and reclaim 1100 acres of brownfield site. allowing greater community accessibility to sustainable transport, the beltline will provide a gateway and act as a green connection for the city. at its finish the program will be running tours and informational sessions all along its paths, as it becomes a living and functional tourist attraction.

the city of detroit, mi, has undertaken the implementation of “green and blue” landscape systems. the importance of restoring it’s land to it’s natural state, while also improving residents’ quality of life serves as the basis for their mission. a complex action plan detailing strategies like carbon forests, industrial buffers, and surface lakes has been implemented. real results have been noticed by the people. a reduction in construction, maintenance and operation costs, an increase in property values, creation of attractive neighborhoods, vacant land recapture, storm water recollection, and the creation of new jobs, have all led to a greater city government support rates, and overall better health within the city as a reach out to ecological balance is underway.

the city of el paso is a pioneer in prioritizing green infrastructure as a way to improve the city’s appeal to business and visitors and achieve the title of the united states most livable city. el paso has adopted a multifaceted approach to become one of the leading green infrastructure cities in the southwestern united states by making public participation the focus of their initiative to employ green infrastructure techniques in the most effective ways possible. public participation has proven central to el paso’s success because it involves citizens in the decision-making process, which earns their approval and support.

as international treaties and federal policy-making stall, cities are taking the initiative, fostering innovation and fueling competition, all in the interest of adapting to climate change. the impacts of a changing planet aren’t theoretical for these leaders. for them, it’s adapt, innovate or watch their city’s future die.

moderator: frank sesno, founder and host, planet forward
vincent gray, mayor, washington, d.c.
mark mallory, mayor, cincinnati, oh
tommy battle, mayor, huntsville, al
steven knapp, president, the george washington university
melissa keeley, assistant professor of geography, the george washington university

moderator: frank sesno, founder and host, planet forward
vincent gray, mayor, washington, d.c.
mark mallory, mayor, cincinnati, oh
tommy battle, mayor, huntsville, al
steven knapp, president, the george washington university
melissa keeley, assistant professor of geography, the george washington university

moderator: frank sesno, founder and host, planet forward
vincent gray, mayor, washington, d.c.
mark mallory, mayor, cincinnati, oh
tommy battle, mayor, huntsville, al
steven knapp, president, the george washington university
melissa keeley, assistant professor of geography, the george washington university

and…sesno challenges knapp to a bike race.

looking to keep track of team thinkfwd?

team thinkfwd is a group of fifteen students from frank sesno’s class at the george washington university. see all of their videos here: visit the member page