ACUPCC Reporting System

Climate Action Plan for Santa Clara University

Submitted on January 15, 2010; last updated on January 15, 2010

Climate Action Plan Details

Climate Action Plan Climate Neutrality Action Plan
January 15, 2010
No information provided.
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Emissions Targets

Climate Neutrality Target
2015
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
20% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions by 2010 relative to baseline emissions in 1997
50% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions by 2014 relative to baseline emissions in 1997
Nonstandard Emissions Targets
Please enter below any targets that do not fit into the above format.

20% emissions reduction by the end of 2010 relative to 1997 emissions. (Concerning Total Scopes 1 and 2 emissions).

Narratives

Please describe your institution's greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.

University Operations targets our buildings as opportunities to use energy more efficiently. We will commit to reducing emissions wherever possible, generating our own renewable energy when financially feasible, zero emissions growth, and lastly, offsetting the remaining greenhouse gas emissions needed to achieve climate neutrality. Retrofits to existing buildings improve their mechanical efficiencies, while new buildings are designed to be as energy efficient as possible. Besides ongoing efficiency retrofits and projects to reduce energy demand, Green Power purchases have helped us reduce our net emissions.

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

Sustainability is a broad area of study and practice, encompassing the relationship of environmental protection, economic development, and social justice. Students need greater preparation to engage in this area in their lives as professionals, citizens, and individuals. We will increase faculty development to teach and conduct research on sustainability issues. We will also expand and develop new curricular and co-curricular experiences and research opportunities that develop a culture of sustainability. While many disciplines can contribute to an understanding of sustainability, each department and faculty member need not make a contribution. Because of our commitment to academic freedom, many viewpoints on sustainability, including skepticism of widely-held views on the topic, will be welcomed and encouraged.

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

(incorporated into education section).

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

Santa Clara University has the opportunity to leverage our experiences and participation in the Association for Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), to become a leader among Jesuit and Catholic institutions of higher education, and encourage more colleges and universities toward climate neutrality. We will also identify our strengths and opportunities for growth based on sustainability assessments. To further expand our community outreach, we will develop more community programs and cultivate existing relationships with community partners. We will develop more internal structures to support sustainability at SCU, including incorporating sustainability into employee responsibilities as well as increasing the online presence of Santa Clara sustainability initiatives.