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.
Featured Resources
New Resources
Green, Greener, Greenest
Green is good for the planet, but also for a college’s public image. In a Princeton Review survey this year of 10,300 college applicants, 63 percent said that ...
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Publications
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At students' behest, colleges add efforts to address climate change
- USA TODAY (VA)
More and more, prospective students want to know what universities are doing about climate change - from reducing their own carbon footprint to preparing students for the environmental challenges ahead.
- Posted May 3, 2016
- Publications
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Smooth(ie) Pedal-Power at Southern Oregon University's Earth Week Transportation Options Grill-Out
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
Southern Oregon University Bike Program and ECOS volunteers cheer on a student who's "crushing it" on the bike blender! ECOS- the Ecology and Sustainability Resource Center of SOU hosted ...
- Posted April 27, 2016
- Photographs
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Portland Community College Sustainability: We're all in this together
- Portland Community College (OR)
Published on Mar 30, 2015
Sustainability at Portland Community College
Visit pcc.edu/sustain
Video produced by the PCC Office of Sustainability and the PCC Video Production Unit
Producers: Michael ...
- Posted April 26, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future
- World Resources Institute (DC)
Installment 11 of Creating a Sustainable Food Future shows that for people who consume high amounts of meat and dairy, shifting to diets with a greater share of plant-based foods ...
- Posted April 26, 2016
- Publications
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As the heating happens: Education for Sustainable Development or Education for Sustainable Contraction?
- University of Plymouth (Devon)
There is widespread consensus within the international scientific community that global warming is happening and that its causes are primarily anthropogenic. Future histories anticipate massive environmental and social upheaval unless ...
- Posted April 25, 2016
- Publications
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Rutgers Climate Institute
- Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)
The Rutgers Climate Institute is a University-wide effort to address one of the most important issues of our time through research, education and outreach. The Institute draws upon strengths in ...
- Posted April 25, 2016
- Research Centers & Institutes
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Linde Center for Global Environmental Science
- California Institute of Technology (CA)
Scientists from a broad range of disciplines are collaborating at The Linde Center to generate a comprehensive understanding of our global environment—including the impacts of human activities on it ...
- Posted April 20, 2016
- Research Centers & Institutes
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Rising-seas.org Project
- Johns Hopkins University (MD)
RISING-SEAS.ORG is an online alliance of passionate individuals dedicated to bridging climate awareness and action from all angles. It features visual advocacy campaigns to visualize the communities most endangered ...
- Posted April 20, 2016
- Case Studies
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U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (SC)
The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit provides scientific tools, information, and expertise to help people manage their climate-related risks and opportunities, and improve their resilience to extreme events. The site ...
- Posted April 14, 2016
- Tools
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Berkeley Energy and Climate Institute (BECI)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Berkeley Energy and Climate Institute (BECI) is the coordinating hub for energy and climate research at UC Berkeley. BECI fosters collaboration between UC Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL ...
- Posted April 11, 2016
- Research Centers & Institutes
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Climate Change Discussion Activity
- EcoChallenge.org (OR)
Active, personally relevant learning is at the heart of an effective education. This
activity takes students or other campus participants through a process of exploring sustainability through small group discussion ...
- Posted April 11, 2016
- Course Materials
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The State of Campus Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate
- Haley & Aldrich, Inc. (MA)
- Society for College and University Planning (MI)
Climate-related events pose a major threat to college and university campuses across the country, and this is only expected to worsen as the climate continues to change. Along with an ...
- Posted April 8, 2016
- Publications
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Institutional Pathways to Fossil-Free Investing: Endowment Management in a Warming World
- Responsible Endowments Coalition (PA)
- Sustainable Endowments Institute (MA)
This report provides an analysis of climate-related portfolio risk faced by educational and philanthropic endowments and presents three pathways toward reallocating an endowment portfolio into fossil-free investment opportunities, across asset ...
- Posted April 8, 2016
- Publications
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Internal Carbon Accounting at a Small Liberal Arts College
- Vassar College (NY)
As colleges and universities pursue greenhouse gas reductions, it has become clear that some
approach is necessary for putting a price on carbon emissions and communicating that cost to energy ...
- Posted April 6, 2016
- Publications
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Flying along the supply chain: accounting for emissions from student air travel in the higher education sector
Higher education institutions (HEIs) can play a key role in facilitating the transition to a low carbon economy, where reporting greenhouse gas emissions is an important step in this process ...
- Posted March 29, 2016
- Publications
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Waste Reduction Model (WARM)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
The US EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM) calculates and totals GHG emissions of baseline and alternative waste management practices—source reduction, recycling, combustion, composting, and landfilling. The model calculates ...
- Posted March 29, 2016
- Tools
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A New Course: How Innovative University Programs Are Reducing Driving on Campus and Creating New Models for Transportation Policy
Universities and colleges across the country are taking steps to encourage their communities, students, faculty and staff to decrease their reliance on personal vehicles. These efforts are working well – saving ...
- Posted March 29, 2016
- Publications
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Green Power Partnership
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
The Green Power Partnership is a free, voluntary program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the ...
- Posted March 28, 2016
- Tools
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New Energy for Campuses: Energy-Saving Policies for Colleges and Universities
- Energy Action Coalition
New Energy for Campuses highlights more than 30 universities in 24 states that have implemented a range of programs including improving the energy efficiency of classrooms, putting solar panels on ...
- Posted March 28, 2016
- Publications
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Leading Techniques for Energy Savings in Colleges and Universities
- Schneider Electric (TX)
This paper describes how building automation products and services can reduce energy costs at colleges and universities. It outlines proven techniques to achieve energy conservation results with an attractive return ...
- Posted March 28, 2016
- Publications
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Higher Education’s Role in Adapting to a Changing Climate
- Second Nature (MA)
This report describes the role of colleges and universities in preparing society for a changing climate through their education, research, operations, and community engagement activities.
- Posted March 28, 2016
- Publications
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The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard
- World Resources Institute (DC)
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development
The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard provides standards and guidance for organizations preparing a GHG emissions inventory. The GHG Protocol Initiative’s vision is to harmonize GHG accounting and reporting standards ...
- Posted March 24, 2016
- Publications
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Scope 3 Evaluator
- World Resources Institute (DC)
- Quantis
To help facilitate the adoption of the Scope 3 Standard, GHG Protocol teamed up with Quantis to develop this free scope 3 screening tool. This tool provides users a simple ...
- Posted March 24, 2016
- Tools
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The State of Sustainability in Higher Education 2015: Emissions Metrics, Consumption Trends & Strategies for Success
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- Gordian (SC)
Over the past decade, campuses across North America have invested significant effort, attention, and money toward the key challenges of sustainability in higher education, which are embodied by the carbon ...
- Posted March 21, 2016
- Publications
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University of Maryland Center for Global Sustainability
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
Global sustainability depends on a robust global economy, a healthy environment, clean energy services, and a stable climate. Yet these issues are major policy challenges on which progress has been ...
- Posted March 8, 2016
- Research Centers & Institutes
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Shut the Sash Sticker
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
This sticker is intended to remind lab workers to shut the sash of their fume hood.
- Posted March 3, 2016
- Outreach Materials
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Shalini Gupta Presents AASHE 2015 Closing Keynote Address
- AASHE (MA)
- Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy (MN)
Co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy Shalini Gupta presented the closing keynote address for the AASHE 2015 Conference & Expo.
Ms. Gupta's extensive ...
- Posted March 3, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
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A Guide to Climate Resiliency & The Community College
- American Association of Community Colleges (DC)
Too many municipalities are crafting climate adaption and resiliency plans without community colleges as partners. Yet, community colleges are positioned to be powerful partners in implementing a holistic local response ...
- Posted March 3, 2016
- Publications
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Campus Carbon Calculator (legacy resource)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
The Campus Carbon Calculator was updated by University of New Hampshire in 2017, when it became SIMAP, the Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform. SIMAP is listed as a Hub ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Tools
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Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Building Renewable Energy Infrastructure On a Growing Campus
- Skidmore College (NY)
This case study will show attendees how one institution was able to dramatically reduce its GHG emissions while simultaneously growing in both institutional square footage and enrollment. From the year ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Using Retro-Commissioning to Increase Climate Action Plan Resiliency
- Seattle Pacific University (WA)
- Paladino and Company (WA)
Seattle Pacific University created a climate action plan in June 2010. The goal of the plan is to reduce natural gas consumption 20% by 2015 and be a carbon neutral ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Developing and Implementing Carbon Mitigation Projects for your Campus
- Clarkson University (NY)
- Colgate University (NY)
- Sewanee - The University of the South (TN)
- University of Georgia (GA)
- Second Nature (MA)
This panel will explore how academic institutions have developed and manage carbon sequestration projects and mitigation activities. Case studies described by the panel will primarily focus on forest carbon but ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Beyond Offsets: Innovative approaches to achieving and exceeding our climate commitments
- Amherst College (MA)
- Hampshire College (MA)
- Smith College (MA)
- Williams College (MA)
- Living Routes, Inc. (MA)
Climate change is a defining issue of our time, and colleges and university are leading the way by setting ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. Many of us are even striving ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Pioneering a Process for Conducting a Greenhouse Gas Inventory
- Saint Louis University (MO)
It is becoming best interest for institutions of higher education to quantify their carbon footprint. Many colleges and universities have started measuring this by conducting a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Building Capacity Through Regional Climate Action: A case study of cross-sectorial partnerships
- Wilfrid Laurier University (ON)
Laurier has a unique relationship with local nonprofit Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR), a group that works to further environmental and economic resiliency in local organizations. SWR was initiated through a ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Measuring and Reducing Campus Nitrogen Footprints
- University of Virginia (VA)
- Brown University (RI)
- Colorado State University (CO)
- Eastern Mennonite University (VA)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- Dickinson College (PA)
Humans have substantially altered the nitrogen cycle, releasing reactive nitrogen to the environment at an annual rate twice that of natural fluxes. Increased releases of reactive nitrogen have cascading adverse ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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7 years & 1,854,472 tonnes: A collaborative journey toward climate stabilization
- LHB, Inc. (MN)
Moving beyond good intentions, Rosemount, a rapidly growing Minneapolis exurb, is taking a leadership role in planning for significant city-wide greenhouse gas reductions. As a participant in Minnesota's GreenStep ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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A Campus Tree Inventory: An Interdisciplinary, Multi-Class, Mega-Lab Project
- Furman University (SC)
Trees provide a number of valuable ecosystem services, including reducing stormwater runoff, increasing air and water quality, storing and sequestering atmospheric carbon, and reducing energy consumption due to direct shading ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Living with Our Changing Climate
- American Meteorological Society (DC)
Earth's climate is inherently variable, but is currently changing at rates unprecedented in recent Earth history. Human activity plays a major role in this change and is projected to ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Standardizing Greenhouse Gas Protocols in the 14-member Ivy+ Sustainability Consortium
- GreenerU (MA)
- Harvard University (MA)
- Duke University (NC)
- Yale University (CT)
- Stanford University (CA)
- The Climate Registry
One of the most challenging issues facing the higher education sustainability movement is how to track and report greenhouse gas emissions in ways that allow for benchmarking and comparison while ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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How Are We Doing? Objectively Assessing the Data Regarding Campus GHGs and Energy
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- Gordian (SC)
- Sustainable Endowments Institute (MA)
- Second Nature (MA)
- U.S. Green Building Council (DC)
After more than a decade of focused collective effort to make higher education a model for operational climate change leadership in North America, what do we have to show for ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Getting everyone on board with carbon neutrality: UC system best practices for faculty, student, and staff engagement
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
In 2014, University of California President Janet Napolitano announced the Carbon Neutrality Initiative, committing UC to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. President Napolitano formed a Global Climate Leadership Council to ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Developing a Network for Campus Carbon Offset Projects
- Clarkson University (NY)
- Second Nature (MA)
This networking meeting will focus on the development of carbon offset projects for colleges and universities. Offsetting carbon associated with campus-financed airfare was the tangible action least committed to within ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Second Nature Climate Leadership Commitments Session
- Second Nature (MA)
An overview session for Implementation Liaisons (ILs) and representatives from Climate Leadership Commitment signatories (formerly know as the the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and schools interested ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Cashing in Carbon: Selling Carbon Reductions to Leverage Campus Sustainability
- Boston University (MA)
This year, with momentum from the Chevy Campus Clean Energy Challenge, Boston University reached its 2020 goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent. Through the robust Verified ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Educating, Researching, and Planning for Resilience
- Smith College (MA)
On the agenda of the IPCC, the UN, and the White house, the concept of 'resilience' frames a new way to thinking about the future of social-ecological systems. However, few ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Preparing for Climate Change
- Boston University (MA)
While sustainability officers have appropriately been focused on reducing their campus' impacts on climate change, few have had the opportunity to begin preparing their campuses for the impacts of climate ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Estimating carbon sequestration potential of college campus soils: An example from Carleton College
- Carleton College (MN)
We developed a method to determine how much carbon could be sequestered by soils on a college campus. In Fall 2014, the Geology of Soils class at Carleton College wrote ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Making Carbon Neutrality a Reality at Cornell
- Cornell University (NY)
Cornell's 2035 neutrality goal is motivated by the belief that we have a responsibility to generate global solutions while addressing our own emissions by developing and demonstrating scalable solutions ...
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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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
- Description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory
- GHG emissions inventory (upload)
- Brief description of the GHG inventory verification process
- Brief description of the methodology for completing an air emissions inventory
OP 2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user, performance year
- Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year
- A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives
- Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.