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Air & Climate

Introduction

Global climate change is having myriad negative impacts throughout the world, including increased frequency and potency of extreme weather events, sea level rise, species extinction, water shortages, declining agricultural production, and spread of diseases. The impacts are particularly pronounced for low-income communities and countries. In addition, institutions that inventory and take steps to reduce their air pollutant emissions can positively impact the health of the campus community, as well as the health of their local communities and regions.

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The environmental footprint of academic and student mobility in a large research-oriented university

  • McGill University (QC)
  • Université de Montréal (QC)

Academic mobility for field work, research dissemination and global outreach is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to the overall environmental footprint of research institutions. Student mobility, while less studied, …

2019 AASHE Conference & Expo Closing Ceremony

  • University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
  • AASHE (MA)
  • 350.org (NY)

Bill McKibben, author, climate activist and environmentalist, joined higher education sustainability leaders at the 2019 AASHE Conference & Expo. His remarks helped us further explore the conference theme, "Co-Creating a …

  • Posted Nov. 26, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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Let’s Take the Climate Back

  • AASHE (MA)
  • Interface Global (GA)

According to research conducted by Interface and Net Impact, 95% of climate experts believe that it is possible to reverse global warming and 91% of young leaders agree. The reason …

  • Posted Nov. 13, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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Implementing Energy Efficiency through Sub-meters

  • Macalester College (MN)
  • AASHE (MA)

Participants will learn how to begin sub-metering utilities on their campus and how this data can inform and justify not only the cost of the sub-meters, but of energy efficiency …

  • Posted Sept. 12, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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MIT Climate Resiliency Tour for MIT undergraduates enrolled in the Terrascope first year learning community

Campus-based Climate Resiliency Field Study Program

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Office of Sustainability collaborated with academic and operational partners to create a field study program that focused on campus climate resiliency. The experiential learning program …

Academic air travel has a limited influence on professional success

  • University of British Columbia (BC)

Lowering the growth in greenhouse gas emissions from air travel may be critical for avoiding dangerous levels of climate change, and yet some individuals perceive frequent air travel to be …

Naomi Haber ('20) and Liz Davis-Frost ('20) explore the Climate Change Garden at Cornell University, a permanent campus installation that demonstrates the impact of climate change on plant growth in New York state.

Climate Change Garden at Cornell University

  • Cornell University (NY)

The Climate Change Garden at Cornell University, a permanent campus installation that demonstrates the impact of climate change on plant growth in New York state. Planning for the climate change …

Summer intern Jiwon Lee '20 and horticulturist Donna Levy work in the Climate Change Demonstration Garden.

Cornell Climate Change Demonstration Garden

  • Cornell University (NY)

Climate Change Garden - The Cornell University Climate Change Garden is a permanent campus installation that demonstrates the impact of climate change on plant growth in New York state. Planning …

Enjoying Thompson Rivers University's bike share and e-bike purchasing programs.

Bike Share & Employee E-Bike Purchasing

  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)

Thompson Rivers University recently established two electric bike programs to boost individual wellness and help reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Through an electric bike sharing program, students, faculty and staff …

Students tour the rooftop solar panels of The Joyce Centre. These panels can generate 721,000 kilowatts annually

Mohawk College SCI submission 2

  • Mohawk College (ON)

The Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation at Mohawk College is the first pilot project for The Canada Green Building Council® (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Building Program. This framework is Canada’s …

The Joyce Centre houses multiple lecture halls, labs and collaborative spaces constructed using locally and ethically sourced materials.

Mohawk College SCI submission 1

  • Mohawk College (ON)

The Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation at Mohawk College is the first pilot project for The Canada Green Building Council® (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Building Program. This framework is Canada’s …

Bowdoin College Carbon Foodprint Dinner 2

Bowdoin College Carbon Foodprint Dinner

  • Bowdoin College (ME)

Bowdoin's student EcoReps worked with Bowdoin Dining on an educational dinner about the carbon footprint of the meal as part of International Polar Bear Day (Bowdoin's mascot is the polar …

Disrupt Climate Injustice Curriculum Disruption

  • The New School (NY)

In 2018, The New School invited all 14,000 faculty, staff, and students to participate in a university-wide curriculum disruption entitled "Disrupt Climate Injustice." Participants were encouraged to stop "business as …

Sustainable CT Stakeholders at Wickham Park, Manchester, CT

Sustainable CT Voluntary Certification Program -

  • Eastern Connecticut State University (CT)

In 2018, Eastern Connecticut State University's Institute for Sustainable Energy launched Sustainable CT, a voluntary municipal sustainability certification program to recognize thriving and resilient Connecticut communities. The program offers a …

Climate adaptation planning in the higher education sector

  • RMIT University

Purpose There is a growing interest in climate change action in the higher education sector. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play an important role as property owners, employers, education and research …

  • Posted July 19, 2019
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Distributed leadership: Building capacity for interdisciplinary climate change teaching at four universities

  • UNSW Sydney (NSW)
  • University of Wollongong (New South Wales)
  • Murdoch University (Western Australia)
  • University of Tasmania (TAS)

Purpose – Interdisciplinary approaches to climate change teaching are well justified and arise from the complexity of climate change challenges and the integrated problem-solving responses they demand. These approaches require …

  • Posted July 19, 2019
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Design of higher education teaching models and carbon impacts

  • The Open University

Purpose – This research aims to examine the main findings of the SusTEACH study of the carbon-based environmental impacts of 30 higher education (HE) courses in 15 UK institutions, based …

  • Posted July 19, 2019
  • Publications
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Carbon footprint of a scientific publication: A case study at Dalian University of Technology, China

  • Dalian University of Technology

Knowledge of the carbon footprint (CF) of a scientific publication can help to guide changes in behavior for mitigating global warming. A knowledge gap, however, still exists in academic circles. …

  • Posted July 19, 2019
  • Publications
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Climate and Health Graduate Certificate

  • Columbia University (NY)

Climate variability and change pose complex risks to our health. Dramatic examples can be found in the headlines: a powerful tropical storm sweeps in with such force that hundreds of …

  • Posted May 30, 2019
  • Academic Programs
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Diversifying the U.S. Climate Movement: Four Interviews

  • Antioch University, New England (NH)

Climate change is having devastating impacts in the United States, and people of color are disproportionately harmed. In this study, I interviewed four experts on diversity, equity, and inclusion in …

From the Classroom to the COP: Equipping Emory Students to Become Climate Policy Leaders

  • Emory University (GA)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took effect in 1994, and its main objective is to lessen the impact of human interference that threatens the Earth’s climate …

teach in

The Pyramid of Action: A Multifaceted Approach For Deeper Engagement

  • California State University, Chico (CA)

With many environmental issues overwhelming students today, it can be paralyzing. So, AS Sustainability utilized the “Pyramid of Action” strategy in semester-long campaigns, leading students from awareness, behavior change, education …

Showing off one of the TRU Ebikes

Thompson Rivers University Bikeshare and Employee E-bike Purchase Program

  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)

Thompson Rivers University began a simple bike share program with five bikes that was designed for students, staff and faculty to have access to bicycles for up to a week …

University of California’s Cool Campus Challenge

  • University of California, Office of the President (CA)

In 2019 the University of California launched the Cool Campus Challenge, an online competition between all ten campuses to engage students, faculty, and staff in the UC Carbon Neutrality initiative. …

Combine biomass DES and Low Carbon Electrification approaches to eliminate 100% GHG emissions from natural gas

  • Thompson Rivers University (BC)

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has met or exceeded Global, National and Provincial GHG reduction targets over past 10 years. Since 2010 TRU has reduced GHG emissions by more than 35 …

Climate and Society (MA)

  • Columbia University (NY)

The M.A. Program in Climate and Society is a twelve-month interdisciplinary Master of Arts program that trains professionals and academics to understand and cope with the impacts of climate variability …

  • Posted May 17, 2019
  • Academic Programs
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Diversifying the U.S. Climate Movement

  • Antioch University, New England (NH)

People of color are poised to reach 50% of the United States population by 2046, yet they continue to be underrepresented in environmental organizations. This report summarizes the barriers for …

This Way to Climate Action at Chico State

  • California State University, Chico (CA)

Students at CSU, Chico used the Cal-Adapt climate tools to forecast the future climate for the City of Chico, Butte County, and CSU, Chico, and project the climate impacts to …

Climate Change Escape Room

  • Harvard University (MA)

In April 2019, the Resource Efficiency Program (REP) constructed and staffed a climate change themed escape room. Each minute in the room equated to four years of climate change impacting …

An Economic Perspective on a Carbon Management Program at the University of Michigan

  • University of Michigan (MI)

The recent UN IPCC special report stated that, in order to stay at or below 1.5 degrees of warming, greenhouse gas emissions will need to be reduced by 45 percent …

An analysis of vehicular emissions at Kansas State University

  • California State University, Bakersfield (CA)
  • Kansas State University (KS)

There has been a wave of recent interest in understanding the dynamics of vehicular emissions in university towns. Using data from a recent survey of Kansas State University students, faculty, …

Quantifying the Offset of Greenhouse Gas Emissions at the University of North Alabama

  • University of North Alabama (AL)

This study quantified the discrete and areal carbon sequestration capacity of the University of North Alabama’s green infrastructure. USDA i-Tree was used to analyze and report on the carbon sequestration …

Solar PV as a mitigation strategy for the US education sector

  • Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (CA)

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is an important strategy to de-carbonize the energy sector in the United States and to reduce the health, environmental, and climate change damages associated with the production …

The Fear of Not Flying: Achieving Sustainable Academic Plane Travel in Higher Education Based on Insights from South Australia

  • The University of Adelaide (SA)

Universities are both disseminators and producers of the climate knowledge needed to institute the social and cultural change required for climate adaptation and mitigation to occur. They also have the …

Climate change belief, sustainability education, and political values: Assessing the need for higher-education curriculum reform

  • Vanderbilt University (TN)

Educational attainment is generally a strong predictor of belief in climate change, but prior research indicates that for political conservatives a college education is not always associated with increased belief. …

Teaching Climate Science to Increase Understanding & Receptivity

  • Friedrich Schiller University Jena

Only about half of Americans are convinced that human activity is the major cause of climate change. This statistic highlights the increased need for high-quality climate science education but also …

Patrick Duke SOS 2017

Founder, Students on Sustainability

  • University of Calgary (AB)

I founded Students on Sustainability, a student society at the University of Calgary that educates grade school students on sustainability topics linked to climate change, and supports student action projects. …

Mail and Courier Sustainability Project

  • University of Rochester (NY)

Patricia Van Valkenburgh, University of Rochester Class of 2019, developed, implemented, and completed an initiative to reduce gas emissions from the University Mail Services (UMS) mail fleet, which had recently …

Interdisciplinary Responses to Climate Change in the University Classroom

  • Husson University (ME)

This case report describes a novel bridge course developed by the authors, entitled, What If They're Right? Individual Responses to Climate Change. The course challenges university students to experiment with …

Development and evaluation of a method to estimate the potential of decarbonisation technologies deployment at higher education campuses

  • University of Limerick

This paper describes a method for the quantitative estimation of the potential of decarbonisation technologies deployed on Higher Education Campuses (HEC). This was developed to fill the need for a …

UVM Eco-Reps tabling during Earth Week. They quizzed students on Jeopardy questions and gave out reusable sandwich bags.

University of Vermont Earth Week

  • University of Vermont (VT)

University of Vermont Eco-Reps hosted their annual Earth Week from April 22-26. The theme of the week was POI: Points of Intervention. PLAN: Post Landfill Action Network came to UVM …

Low Carbon Footprint Dinner - Univ. of Oregon

  • University of Oregon (OR)

During Earth Week the University of Oregon hosted a "Low Carbon Footprint" dinner, featuring foods that have lower carbon emissions from production through to waste. Low Carbon Footprint options were …

PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies

  • Montclair State University (NJ)

The PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies supports transdisciplinary research and community projects that grow more resilient communities worldwide. From climate change research in New Jersey, to energy studies in Vietnam …

  • Posted May 5, 2019
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Ireland’s Transition towards a Low Carbon Society: The Leadership Role of Higher Education Institutions in Solar Photovoltaic Niche Development

  • University of Limerick

Ireland is currently considered a laggard within Europe in relation to decarbonisation of its society, with future projections estimating increases in greenhouse gas emissions up to and beyond 2030. To …

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Roofs and Pavements: A Case Study at Sapienza University Campus

  • University of Rome Tor Vergata

The progressively emerging concept of urban resilience to climate change highlights the importance of mitigation and adaptation measures, and the need to integrate urban climatology in the design process, in …

  • Posted April 29, 2019
  • Publications
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Internal Carbon Pricing in Higher Education Toolkit

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • Yale University (CT)
  • Second Nature (MA)
  • AASHE (MA)

Colleges and universities are important leaders in preventing the worst impacts of climate change. Pricing carbon is one instrument schools can use to advance climate solutions. This webinar will review …

  • Posted April 17, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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Getting to Climate Neutrality: Does Bioenergy from Wood Help or Hurt?

  • Tufts University (MA)
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA)
  • AASHE (MA)

Bioenergy has been declared a carbon neutral energy source by the US, EU, China, and other governments around the world. In alignment with these national policies, AASHE-STARS and other sustainability …

  • Posted April 11, 2019
  • Videos & Webinars
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Marching Into the Future

  • Carleton University (ON)
  • University of Ottawa (ON)
  • AASHE (MA)
  • Mount Allison University (NB)

Youth activism is influencing university policies on sustainability and climate change. Institutions can measure impact by using AASHE's STARS program.

  • Posted April 4, 2019
  • Publications
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Lafayette becomes first Lehigh Valley college to pledge 'carbon neutrality'

  • Lafayette College (PA)
  • AASHE (MA)

Lafayette College pledges to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 — a first among colleges in the Lehigh Valley.

  • Posted April 4, 2019
  • Publications
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The sustainability of international higher education: Student mobility and global climate change

  • University of Bath

Much literature discusses higher education as an agent for sustainable development, but the extent to which higher education contributes to unsustainable economic and social systems receives less attention. This paper …

  • Posted March 15, 2019
  • Publications
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.

All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.

OP 1: Emissions Inventory & Disclosure

OP 2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Air & Climate Partners

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