Started in 2006, the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) was a “high-visibility effort” to address

global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...

(global climate disruption) by creating a network of colleges and universities that had committed to reduce their

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

and accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the Earth's climate. This work reflects global

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

efforts. In October 2006, planning sessions were held at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

with the twelve founding signatory Presidents, Second Nature, ecoAmerica, and AASHE. ACUPCC was launched in December 2006, when the founding Presidents sent a letter to nearly 400 of their peers to invite them to join in the initiate. In June 2007, with a signatory group of 284, the ACUPCC was launched to the public at the first Climate Leadership Summit. Part of ACUPCC's goals were to encourage higher education institutions to give their students tools to think with a sustainable perspective for the future. Today, Second Nature is the primary organization responsible for managing what is now known as the
Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments
. Second Nature is a nonprofit organization that "has worked with over 4,000 faculty and administrators at hundreds of colleges and universities to help make the principles of sustainability fundamental to every aspect of higher education.". This work continues unde
Second Nature's Climate Leadership Network

Mission

The ACUPCC sought (and the Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments continue to seek)sought to create connections with higher educational institutions in order to carry out two goals: * Have colleges and universities sign an agreement committing to eliminate their net greenhouse gas emissions from specified campus operations. * Focus on education and the

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

institutions’ ability to promote research from sustainability programs and empower the higher education sector to educate students, create solutions, and provide leadership-by-example for the rest of society. The Climate Commitments provide a framework and support for America's colleges and universities pursuing

carbon neutrality Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon dioxide (). Reaching net ze ...

and

resilience Resilience, resilient, or resiliency may refer to: Science Ecology * Ecological resilience, the capacity of an ecosystem to recover from perturbations ** Climate resilience, the ability of systems to recover from climate change ** Soil resilien ...

. The program and collaboration relies on institutions of higher education to be role models for their communities as well as students, and to educate people who will contribute to fighting to reverse global warming and create a sustainable society.

ACUPCC Agreement

ACUPCC institutions agreed to: * Complete a

greenhouse gas Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of planets such as the Earth. Unlike other gases, greenhouse gases absorb the radiations that a planet emits, resulting in the greenhouse effect. T ...

emissions inventory. * Set a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral (within two years of commitment). * Take immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-term actions. * Integrate sustainability into the curriculum and make it part of the educational experience. * Make the action plan, inventory, and progress reports publicly available. Second Nature's Presidential Climate Commitments hav
these same commitments
in addition to: * Complete annual greenhouse gas emissions inventories * Creating internal university structures to implement commitments * Update university climate action plans every five years.

12 founding ACUPCC signatories

* Loren Anderson, president, Pacific Lutheran University * Michael Crow, president, Arizona State University * Nancy Dye, president, Oberlin College * Jo Ann Gora, president, Ball State University * David Hales, president, College of the Atlantic * Bernard Machen, president, University of Florida *

Gifford Pinchot III Gifford Pinchot III (born December 29, 1942) is an American entrepreneur, author, inventor, and president of Pinchot & Company. He is credited with inventing the concept of intrapreneurship in a paper that he and his wife, Elizabeth Pinchot, wrote ...

, president, Bainbridge Graduate Institute * Kathleen Schatzberg, president, Cape Cod Community College * Mary Spilde, former president, Lane Community College * Douglas Treadway, president, Ohlone College * Darroch Young, chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District * Paul Zingg, president,

California State University, Chico California State University, Chico (Chico State) is a public university in Chico, California. It was founded in 1887 as one of about 180 "normal schools" founded by state governments in the 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing ...

Evolution

By 2010, a total of 697 universities and colleges in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, representing a student population of over 5.6 million as signatories. Current and reporting signatories are accessible vi
Second Nature's reporting platform

External links

Second Nature

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

References

www.secondnature.org www.aashe.org www.fastcompany.com/blog/tony-cortese/green-u/higher-education-s-purpose-healthy-just-and-sustainable-society {{DEFAULTSORT:American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment Climate change organizations based in the United States