ACUPCC Reporting System

Climate Action Plan for Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Submitted on January 30, 2010; last updated on January 30, 2010

Climate Action Plan Details

Climate Action Plan Climate Action Plan
December 23, 2009
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Emissions Targets

Climate Neutrality Target
2025
If you have any qualifying statements with regard to the climate neutrality target date, please include them here, and/or if you have chosen "TBD" and not specified a neutrality date, please enter the reason and explain the process for establishing a target date in the future.

No information provided

Interim Milestone Emission-Reduction Target Target Date Baseline
30% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions by 2015 relative to baseline emissions in 2007
60% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions by 2020 relative to baseline emissions in 2007
100% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions by 2025 relative to baseline emissions in 2007
Nonstandard Emissions Targets
Please enter below any targets that do not fit into the above format.

No information provided

Narratives

Please describe your institution's greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.

The Colleges' Climate Action Plan mitigates greenhouse gas emissions through a systems approach. The systems approach creates internal mechanisms designed to prioritize investment in emission reduction and avoidance opportunities. In addition, and as a supplement to internal emission mitigation efforts, the Colleges committed to a concrete offset strategy that achieves climate neutrality by 2025. As a whole, the Colleges' emission mitigation approach achieves climate neutrality in the near-term while simultaneously fostering an internal, meaningful, and long-term institutional focus on emission reduction.

Please describe your institution's plans to make sustainability a part of the curriculum for all students.

The Colleges' Climate Action Plan embeds climate neutrality in student education at HWS by using a "living laboratory" approach. The "living laboratory" approach takes education surrounding climate neutrality and emission reduction, and transitions it from a limited classroom experience to a broader cultural and participatory norm. In addition, the Climate Action Plan creates over thirty short and long-term student projects, and extends beyond student education to incorporate campus constituents and stakeholders who may not directly participate in the curriculum.

Please describe your institution's plans to expand research efforts toward the achievement of climate neutrality.

The Climate Action Plan is an enabling document that allows students, faculty and staff to research and implement policy, practices and technology that develops greenhouse gas mitigation solutions and the transition to climate neutrality. In addition, the Climate Action Plan emphasizes research and action in all emission scopes and, beyond directly creating 30 plus research projects for students, it creates an Energy and Climate Committee charged with expanding HWS' already effective energy conservation program to incorporate creative emission reduction strategies.

Please describe your institution's plans to expand community outreach efforts toward the achievement of climate neutrality.

As an institution, the Colleges place a premium on civic engagement. Currently, the Colleges' are involved in emission reduction planning for local area municipalities and plan to continue this effort. In addition, the Colleges hold a seat on the Geneva Green Committee - City of Geneva Committee charged with advising City Council on environmental issues, and are frequently tapped as a resource for student research and internships to support the Committee's purpose. The Climate Action Plan also creates student research projects focused on exploring local offset, renewable energy credit and sustainable solid waste management opportunities.