Wagner College signs Climate Commitment

            STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., April 12 — Wagner College has joined approximately 150 colleges and universities from across the nation in making a commitment to environmental awareness and action by supporting the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. President Richard Guarasci has signed the commitment on the college’s behalf.

            A summit will be held in Washington, D.C., June 11 and 12 to formally launch the ACUPCC. Organizers hope to recruit 1,000 more colleges and universities for the effort before 2010.

            The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by securing institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse-gas emissions and accelerate higher education’s research and educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.

            Building on the growing momentum for leadership and action on climate change, the Presidents’ Climate Commitment provides a framework and support for America’s colleges and universities to go “climate-neutral.” The Commitment recognizes the unique responsibility that institutions of higher education have as role models for their communities and in training the people who will develop the social, economic and technological solutions to reverse global warming.

            College presidents signing the Commitment are pledging to eliminate their campuses’ greenhouse-gas emissions over time. This involves:

• Completing an emissions inventory

• Within two years, setting a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate-neutral.

• Taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-term actions.

• Integrating sustainability into the curriculum and making it part of the educational experience.

• Making the action plan, inventory and progress reports publicly available.

            The college and university presidents and chancellors who are joining and leading the Commitment believe that exerting leadership in addressing climate change will stabilize and reduce their long-term energy costs, attract excellent students and faculty, attract new sources of funding, and increase the support of alumni and local communities.

            For more information, click on this link.