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Please describe your institution's greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.
AUNEs total emissions are significantly lower than those of most other higher education institutions with which AUNE competes or that are in a similar geographic location, as presented in the AUNE CAP. AUNEs combined Scope 1 & 2 emissions per full-time equivalent student (FTE) are just 18% of the average emissions of the other schools included in the comparative sampling, and AUNEs total emissions per FTE are 67% of the Scope 1-3 emissions of these other schools. This likely is attributable to a number of factors, principally AUNEs innovative and highly energy-efficient delivery model, which provides education to some 1,000 commuter students annually using just 85,000 square feet of building facility. AUNEs use of propane for heating its facility, the extensive daylighting of the building and numerous other conservation and energy-efficiency measures and behaviors also contribute to this positive comparison.
According to its FY08 greenhouse gas inventory, AUNE has total emissions of 2,627.3 MT eCO2. These emissions break down as follow: Scope 1 (propane) 223 MT eCO2, Scope 2 (electricity) 314 MT eCO2, and Scope 3 (institutional travel, commuting, and waste): 2,090.3 MT eCO2.
Transportation accounts for 80% of AUNEs emissions, while heating, cooling & powering AUNEs facility accounts for 20% of our emissions. The largest percentage of AUNEs emissions (57%) is from student commuting, followed by employee commuting (17%), electricity usage (12%), propane usage (8%), and institutional travel (6%). Emissions from solid waste and wastewater are negligible.
As outlined in our CAP, AUNE will pursue a host of initiatives to mitigate the institution's ghg emissions, including: a) reducing thermal and electrical loads through building envelope & lighting improvements, & continuation of successful behavior-change initiatives; b) meeting reduced loads more efficiently, potentially via installation of geothermal & PV systems; c) incentivizing employee/student alternative transport options; d) reducing & offsetting business travel; and other measures.
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Please describe your institution's plans to make sustainability a part of the
curriculum for all students.
AUNE will encourage students to understand that AUNE has committed to attaining climate neutrality and that sustainability is a core component of AUNEs purpose and values. To do this, AUNE will:
1. Develop materials, communication platform and outreach strategy to highlight AUNEs commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality
2. Expand new student orientation to have a sustainability module to which each incoming student has access
3. Have an optional part of orientation be a guided tour of Keene that highlights various organizational, community, and business sustainability initiatives.
AUNE will increase our students knowledge and understanding of the complexity of sustainability and climate neutrality while simultaneously supporting personal and collective behavioral change by:
1. Encouraging & supporting each programs assessment of the ways in which their current curriculum addresses aspects of sustainability.
2. Creating a faculty resource team whose charge is to organize colloquia, coach other faculty on education for sustainability, and develop cross-departmental curricula;
3. Developing guidelines on the concepts that should be covered in sustainability and carbon neutral curricula
4. Developing an inter-departmental weekend course available to all first-year students
5. Continuing to develop and promote cross-departmental initiatives to address sustainability curriculum
AUNE will educate campus community members and visitors about sustainability and carbon neutrality by:
1. Continuing to develop the Green Guru Program to have greater outreach
2. Continuing to organize and host the Carbon Counts: You Can Too education and outreach campaign
3. Continuing to communicate strategies and achievements regarding sustainability and carbon neutrality at AUNE such as the Green Guru, decreases in printing and electrical use
5. Developing and implementing on-site interpretation of the AUNE campus regarding its energy conservation, material resource use, design principles, and carbon reduction strategies
6. Installing direct feedback mechanisms with interpretation in visible places such as electricity, fuel and water meters
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Please describe your institution's plans to expand research efforts toward the
achievement of climate neutrality.
Goal 1: Encourage and support AUNE faculty, staff and students to engage in research regarding sustainability and regional climate change research.
ACTION STEPS
Short-term (1-3 years)
1. Develop a web-based site to serve as a clearinghouse for the posting and dissemination of ongoing research regarding sustainability & climate change being conducted by faculty, staff, and students along with an evolving list of research project needs
2. Develop mechanisms to disseminate to the AUNE community other regional research findings from leading institutions such as the Climate Change Research Center at UNH
3. Create more formal linkages with Keene State College and the City of Keene to facilitate collaborative regional research
4. Bring together leading thinkers and funders to frame research foci
5. Create a Sustainability Clinic similar to the Advocacy Clinic where students can conduct research for organizations to meet practicum and/or other curricular requirements
6. Encourage and expand opportunities for students to conduct research for classes and practicum to include natural, built, and social environments, including those of AUNE and the City of Keene
7. Encourage and offer opportunities for students to attend local, regional, and national conferences to present their research
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Please describe your institution's plans to expand community outreach efforts toward the
achievement of climate neutrality.
Goal 1: Increase our campus members active public engagement with personal, local, and regional sustainability and carbon reduction efforts.
ACTION STEPS
Short-term (1-3 years)
1. Develop student positions similar to the Green Guru to offer assistance to the greater Keene community and in their own communities. (This might include the creation of energy audit kits that AUNE students can be trained in using on site with area K-12 schools and small businesses.)
2. Develop a Sustainability Institute at AUNE to conduct practical workshops for the AUNE community and general public to help them institute sustainable practices in their homes, businesses, and communities
3. Develop workshops to help people deal with global issues so that they are empowered and not demoralized
4. Host an annual local sustainability expo possibly linked with Earth Week or jointly hosted with Keene State
Mid-term (4-7 years)
5. Reach out to Keene State, the city of Keene, and area citizens to develop a Monadnock Region Sustainability Council with state backing to develop ways to engage the public in sustainability initiatives
6. Develop sustainability service projects involving AUNE students during breaks in the academic year
7. Host a regional sustainability expo
Long-term (8-10 years)
8. The Monadnock Region Sustainability Council works on the development state and national sustainability policies
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