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
Latest News from AASHE Bulletin
New Resources
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
- View more
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 internationally …
- Posted March 24, 2016
- Publications
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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 experience …
- Posted March 3, 2016
- Videos & Webinars
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
Measuring and Reducing Campus Nitrogen Footprints
- Brown University (RI)
- Colorado State University (CO)
- Dickinson College (PA)
- Eastern Mennonite University (VA)
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- University of Virginia (VA)
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
- View more
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 Cities …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
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
- View more
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 do …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Standardizing Greenhouse Gas Protocols in the 14-member Ivy+ Sustainability Consortium
- Duke University (NC)
- Harvard University (MA)
- Stanford University (CA)
- Yale University (CT)
- GreenerU (MA)
- 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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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
- View more
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 in …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Opening Keynote - David Orr
- Oberlin College (OH)
A long time leader in the sustainability field, Mr. Orr is the author of seven books, including Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse and Earth in Mind: On Education, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Stanford reduces emissions by 68% in 2015
- Stanford University (CA)
In late 2011, Stanford's Board of Trustees approved the investment in SESI, of which a key component is a replacement Central Energy Facility for heat recovery, to meet the university's …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Campus Carbon Offset Initiatives in Action
- Sterling Planet, Inc. (GA)
Colleges and Universities can reduce the impact of direct greenhouse gas emissions and achieve marketing value through study abroad and campus parking carbon offset programs. These innovative programs allow students …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
COP21 : Making the Most Out of Your Trip to Paris in December
- University of Connecticut (CT)
If you're planning to send a team of students, faculty, and/or sustainability staff to COP21 this December, please join us to share information about schedules, including educational and cultural events, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Taxing Campus Air Travel to Create a Climate Action Fund
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
As carbon neutrality deadlines loom on the horizon, many universities are scrambling to find ways to reduce emissions to meet our goals. Reducing our carbon footprint can be difficult as …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Beyond Carbon Offsetting: Making PLU Study Abroad Carbon Conscious
- Pacific Lutheran University (WA)
- Living Routes, Inc. (MA)
Universities are key leverage points in developing and implementing positive responses to climate change. Students must understand the basic science and need practical ways to implement changes in their own …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Moving beyond carbon: A nitrogen footprint model for universities
- University of Virginia (VA)
Nitrogen footprints connect entities, such as individuals or universities, with the reactive nitrogen (all species of nitrogen except N2) lost to the environment as a result of their activities. While …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Toward Carbon Neutrality: Université Laval’s voluntary GHG offset program
- Université Laval (QC)
Université Laval in Québec City is the oldest French-language university in North America. UL has some 45,000 students and 10,000 employees, offers over 400 programs, and is one of Canada’s …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
The Kentucky College & University Carbon Consortium
- University of Louisville (KY)
- Western Kentucky University (KY)
Beginning in 2009, in celebration of the annual America Recycles Day event, college campuses across the nation began informally competing on the self-reporting website Recordsetter for “largest cardboard box fort.” …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Climate Adaptation & Resiliency in Colgate’s 2013 Campus Master Plan
- Colgate University (NY)
Changing weather patterns due to climate change are beginning to have profound impacts on campus operations and budgets while also disrupting the academic mission, study behaviors, and overall quality of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
MomentUs: Building a Movement on Campus for Climate Solutions
- Millersville University (PA)
- ecoAmerica (DC)
Empowered by collective action on our campuses and throughout our communities, we can build momentum to align the myriad of climate change solutions and exponentially increase our effectiveness. Together, we …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Campus resilience - Climate-ready landscape evaluation
- Loyola University Chicago (IL)
In the summer of 2013, four interns piloted a new tool to evaluate campus landscapes for their sensitivity to climate change and provided recommendations to the land owners. Led by …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Should Higher Education Go Carbon Neutral?: A Look at Forest Carbon
- Clarkson University (NY)
Nearly 700 signatories to the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have voluntarily committed to taking measurable steps towards climate neutrality. For a college or university to achieve …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Saving $370 Million while Reducing Emissions by 35%
- University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
In 2014, the President of the University of Maryland announced several new initiatives that will allow the university to save money while reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. These …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Voluntary Sustainability Agreements as a Transition Niche
- Chatham University (PA)
The lack of climate change leadership across many government levels in the United States has left a gap in the work of low-carbon transition for sustainability. Recognizing the importance and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Seeing the Carbon for the Trees: Offsetting Air Travel Through Avoided Deforestation in Costa Rica
- American University (DC)
- Pax Natura Foundation (UT)
Achieving carbon neutrality requires reducing emissions at the source through efficiency and reduced consumption, while switching to clean, renewable sources of energy. Not only are these reductions technically feasible within …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Carbon-Reduction Efficacy Analysis of Transportation Alternatives: How to Prioritize Initiatives and Influence the Administration
- California State University, East Bay (CA)
- Salt Lake Community College (UT)
California climate change legislation has increased the urgency for the state’s educational institutions to identify the most effective carbon-reduction strategies from their largest source of indirect carbon emissions – student …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Alliance for Resilient Campuses (ARC): Campus, Community, and Corporate Partnership for Climate Adaption and Resilience
- Second Nature (MA)
- Van Ness Feldman (DC)
Addressing climate-related risks and the need for corresponding adaptation strategies is both a necessary and strategic priority for institutions of higher education in the 21st century. Colleges and universities face …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
The Elephant in the Room: Confronting Your Embodied Emissions
- Portland State University (OR)
Colleges and universities across the country are measuring their carbon footprint and taking steps to reduce it. Climate action plans call for energy efficiency upgrades, waste reduction, fuel efficient fleets, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
The Social Experiment of Voluntary Carbon Offsets at App State
- Appalachian State University (NC)
By the time the 2014 AASHE Conference opens in Portland Oregon is fall, Appalachian State will have, for the first time, made the voluntary purchase of carbon offsets a web-click …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
Engaging students in Years of Living Dangerously
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
The YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY is a journey into the eye of the storm, as Hollywood’s brightest stars and today’s most respected journalists explore the issues of climate change and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
- Conference Presentations
- View more
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.