By Stephen Muzzy, Assistant Director of Campus Relations, Second Nature
(This article appears in the April, 2013 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer)
ACUPCC signatories continue their ongoing, extraordinary efforts to publicly report on progress made to eliminate operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to provide the education, research and community engagement to enable the rest of society to do the same. These tremendous efforts have resulted in making the ACUPCC Reporting System a rich repository of higher education focused sustainability and climate action data – with 1853 GHG reports, 495 Climate Action Plans, and 306 Progress Reports on the Climate Action Plan! Public reporting by the network demonstrates unparalleled transparency and integrity by each institution participating in this effort to advance collective learning of the network and the general public. The ACUPCC Reporting System allows signatories to track, assess and communicate progress to their campus community and beyond, demonstrating to prospective students, foundations and potential private sector partners that their institution is serious about its commitment to climate change and sustainability. 68% of the 306 institutions that submitted a Progress Report on their CAP to date have affirmed that their CAP has helped them realize significant financial savings, listing savings from implemented projects totaling $119 million. 137 signatories reported they secured funding from outside resources totaling more than $305 million to implement climate and sustainability efforts.
ACUPCC signatories are building institutional capacity to foster career preparedness for their students through curriculum development, securing funding for and from climate and sustainability efforts and advancing innovation through institutional research. Since the last data summary in June 2012, the number of Progress Reports on Climate Action Plans has increased from 240 to 306, providing significantly more data to draw from and demonstrating continued growth in climate and sustainability action.
The following provides a breakdown on the progress since June 2012.
Understanding sustainability is requisite for career preparedness in the 21st century. ACUPCC institutions are employing a range of innovative approaches to ensure that climate and sustainability issues are incorporated into the educational experience of all students. The 306 institutions that submitted a Progress Report on their Climate Action Plan to date have reported the following data:
Jump to:
Curriculum | Research | Financial Savings | Money Secured | Climate Neutrality | Interim Reduction Goals | GHG Emissions Reduction | Renewable Energy | Looking Ahead
CURRICULUM
June 2012 |
March 2013 |
|
| 76,935 | 161,082 | graduates covered by sustainability learning outcomes |
| 112 | 141 | require all students to have sustainability as a learning outcome |
| 66 | 98 | have offered professional development to all faculty in sustainability education |
| 49 | 81 | have included sustainability learning outcomes in institutional General Education Requirements |
| 37 | 57 | have included sustainability in fulfilling regional or state accreditation requirements |
| 18 | 29 | have included sustainability learning outcomes, tracks, or certificates in every academic major |
RESEARCH
June 2012 |
March 2013 |
|
| 114 | 137 | have a program to encourage student climate and/or sustainability research |
| 85 | 115 | have a program to encourage faculty climate and or sustainability research |
| 67 | 91 | have a policy that recognizes interdisciplinary research in faculty promotion and tenure |
FINANCIAL SAVINGS
In implementing their Climate Action Plans (CAPs), ACUPCC institutions have invested in improving their campus infrastructure and reducing energy consumption and associated GHG emissions. As a result, they are realizing significant cost-savings and securing funding from outside sources that better enable schools to reduce tuition costs and increase access.
68% of signatories submitting a Progress Report to date affirmed that their CAP has saved their institution money. Of the 306 institutions that submitted Progress Reports, 207 listed savings from implemented projects totaling $119 million. This includes institutions from every Carnegie classification.
MONEY SECURED
June 2012 |
March 2013 |
|
104 signatories secured funding from outside resources totaling over $195 million dollars.
|
137 signatories secured funding from outside resources totaling over $305 million dollars.
|
CLIMATE NEUTRALITY
June 2012 |
March 2013 |
|
465 institutions (70%) have completed a CAP, with 30% setting a target date to achieve climate neutrality within the next 20 years. |
495 institutions (76%) have completed a CAP, with 29% setting a target date to achieve climate neutrality within the next 20 years. |
INTERIM REDUCTION GOALS
Signatories have set interim reduction targets over the next 15 years that will eliminate gross GHG emissions (total scopes 1, 2, & 3 emissions) by 9.6 million metric tons of CO2e (MTCO2e) – a 33% reduction of the network’s current actual gross GHG emissions.
| By 2018 target emissions reduction: | 1,920,408 |
| By 2023 target emissions reduction: | 4,083,302 |
| By 2028 target emissions reduction: | 9,590,556 |
| Total Emission Reductions in the Next 15 Years: 9,590,556 MTCO2E | |
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION
| 612 (94%) institutions have completed at least one GHG inventory. |
| 471 institutions have submitted more than one GHG inventory. On balance, these ACUPCC institutions have reduced cumulative annual CO2e emissions by 328,698 metric tons. |
| Of the 471 institutions with more than one GHG inventory, 240 have shown a reduction. |
| 286 institutions have shown GHG reductions in relation to their building footprint. Demonstrating that their building envelopes are increasing in energy efficiency. |
RENEWABLE ENERGY
June 2012 |
March 2013 |
|
134 institutions produce 171,000,000 kwh of renewable energy annually. This is the equivalent of powering 14,702 American households electricity annually. These institutions have on-campus renewable energy sources – helping to make the transition to a clean and just society, and becoming more secure in a changing energy market. --- |
309 signatories produce 322,102,580 kwh of renewable energy annually. This is the equivalent of powering 34,021 American households annually. --- |
| Total Solar Output: 85,577,602 kwh annually – Solar panels on 93 campuses | Total Solar Output: 208,989,890 kwh annually – Solar panels on 218 campuses |
| Total Wind Output: 45,695,241 kwh annually – Wind turbines on 48 campuses | Total Wind Output: 67,410,374 kwh annually – Wind turbines on 57 campuses |
| Total Biomass Output: 30,514,735 kwh annually – Biomass systems on 5 campuses | Total Biomass Output: 57,223,690 kwh annually – Biomass systems on 12 campuses |
| Total Geothermal Output: 5,605,323 kwh annually – Geothermal systems on 13 campuses | Total Geothermal Output: 5,823,227 kwh annually – Geothermal systems on 18 campuses |
| Total Fuel Cell Output: 4,504,400 kwh annually – Fuel Cell systems on 3 campuses | Total Fuel Cell Output: 4,504,800 kwh annually – Fuel Cell systems on 4 campuses |
RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS (RECs)
160 Signatories have purchased a total of 1,395,585,534 kwh Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).
One REC is created for every 1000 kilowatt-hours (or 1 megawatt-hour) of renewable energy produced electricity placed on the grid. A REC represents the property rights to the environmental, social and other non-power qualities of renewable electricity generation. This makes the ACUPCC currently the 3rd largest purchaser of RECs in the USA and a significant supporter of renewable energy development.
LOOKING AHEAD
Individual signatories are making great strides in preparing graduates, reducing GHG emissions and operational costs, and engaging their local communities. This comprehensive and continued institutionalization of sustainability represents an unprecedented organizational and cultural shift. The collective ACUPCC data continue to be a key metric for determining the success of the initiative and we are excited to see and share the terrific results!