2020 is the date Bates anticipates needing to add capacity to its main steam plant in order to accommodate new facilities south of Campus Avenue. During this upgrade, we propose converting the main steam plant to a biomass cogeneration system. Thus the date is driven by building a new facility south of Campus Avenue. If the Campus Facility Master Plan schedule shifts, Bates will adjust its Climate Neutral date to match.

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Analyzing campus growth under our master plan, and needs and opportunities associated with each of the mitigation strategies studied, we plan to achieve climate neutrality in 2020 through converting our main steam plant to a biomass cogeneration facility and offsetting remaining emissions (steps 2 and 3). We will further evaluate opportunities for on-site renewable energy after 2020.

By 2020, the new construction and renovations planned under the Campus Facilities Master Plan are expected to produce emissions reductions from conservation, efficiency, green building design and the continued purchase of green electricity. Bates recommends going beyond these BAU reductions and replacing the fossil fuel boilers at the main steam plant with a biomass cogeneration system to achieve climate neutrality. These mitigation strategies will reduce emissions by more than 8,000 MTCDE, bringing total on-site reductions to 60 percent of gross emissions.

Effective climate action requires an understanding of the importance education plays in the lives of the people who work at Bates and students who choose to study here. As such, we incorporate climate change and sustainability into education through a variety of offerings.

The Bates curriculum includes courses, or sections within them, which focus on climate change/ ustainability in the Environmental Studies (ES) major, General Education Concentrations (GECs), First-Year Seminars and Short Term offerings. Faculty members have ongoing research projects directed at various aspects of climate change and engage students in them. The required senior thesis provides an opportunity for students interested in climate change or sustainability to conduct their own research and present the results to their department or interdisciplinary program.

In addition, less formalized opportunities for climate change and sustainability education reside in efforts by the Sustainability Coordinator, Harward Center for Community Partnerships, student clubs and the Bates faculty and staff.

Bates’ faculty members are actively engaged in research that pertains to climate change and sustainability; their specializations span the disciplines. Examples of 2007–2008 publications pertaining to these research areas are included in our Climate Action Plan.

Bates offers a number of ways student, faculty and staff can get involved in and learn about climate change and sustainability outside the classroom. Formal and less formal opportunities occur through invited lectures, movies, panel discussions, community-based projects and committee/ club participation.