UA pledges sustainability on campus
Samantha Sigmon
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: News
The UA campus is about to get a little greener, and it's not just because spring is on its way. The UA is the first higher education institution in the state and among the first 100 in the nation to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, according to a press release.
The pledge is a commitment to reduce and ultimately neutralize greenhouse gas emissions produced on college campuses. Officials from the Presidents Climate Commitment approached the UA a couple weeks ago about signing on to this aggressive proposal for environmental stewardship on campus, said Tysen Kendig, UA associate vice chancellor.
UA administrators thought "it was an important goal to pursue ... our quick endorsement is a testament that although the goals set in the commitment are not easily attained, they are essential goals to pursue," Kendig said.
When the document is signed, the presidents of the colleges are pledging to take three actions: to develop a comprehensive plan by 2009 to achieve "climate neutrality" on campus; to implement at least two specific programs for reducing greenhouse gases while the comprehensive plan is developing; and to make an action plan and all progress reports accessible to the public, according to the press release.
"The environment should be a paramount concern for any institution or corporation, but especially for a national research university with the mind power to come up with new solutions to a global issue such as sustainability," Kendig said. "Not only should we be searching for new ways to protect our environment, we also should be an example to our students and our state in how we practice sustainability."
Sustainability has been at the forefront of Chancellor John A. White's agenda for some time now, and he renewed the UA commitment to environmental stewardship in the State of the University address last fall, Kendig said.
"We have already made a commitment to sustainability on campus, and this enables us to be part of a coordinated national effort," White said in the press release. This particular pledge was signed in late February.
The pledge is a commitment to reduce and ultimately neutralize greenhouse gas emissions produced on college campuses. Officials from the Presidents Climate Commitment approached the UA a couple weeks ago about signing on to this aggressive proposal for environmental stewardship on campus, said Tysen Kendig, UA associate vice chancellor.
UA administrators thought "it was an important goal to pursue ... our quick endorsement is a testament that although the goals set in the commitment are not easily attained, they are essential goals to pursue," Kendig said.
When the document is signed, the presidents of the colleges are pledging to take three actions: to develop a comprehensive plan by 2009 to achieve "climate neutrality" on campus; to implement at least two specific programs for reducing greenhouse gases while the comprehensive plan is developing; and to make an action plan and all progress reports accessible to the public, according to the press release.
"The environment should be a paramount concern for any institution or corporation, but especially for a national research university with the mind power to come up with new solutions to a global issue such as sustainability," Kendig said. "Not only should we be searching for new ways to protect our environment, we also should be an example to our students and our state in how we practice sustainability."
Sustainability has been at the forefront of Chancellor John A. White's agenda for some time now, and he renewed the UA commitment to environmental stewardship in the State of the University address last fall, Kendig said.
"We have already made a commitment to sustainability on campus, and this enables us to be part of a coordinated national effort," White said in the press release. This particular pledge was signed in late February.
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