2019 Climate Action Plan - Lafayette College

2019 Climate Action Plan

TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from President Alison Byerly . . . . . . . 1

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

I. Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

II. Progress to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

A. Climate Action Plan 1.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Accomplishments

1. We measured emissions and energy. 2. We reduced emissions. 3. We conserved energy.

B. Additional Achievements . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1. We introduced composting to campus. 2. We established LaFarm. 3. We built sustainably. 4. We minimized waste and expanded reuse

and recycling. 5. We improved transportation. 6. W e reinforced the College's commitment

to sustainability.

III. Climate Action Plan 2.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 A. Buildings and Facilities Energy Use . . . 12

1. Recommendations 2. Timeline

B . Minimize Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

1. Recommendations 2. Timeline

C. Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

1. Recommendations 2. Timeline

D. Curricular Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

1. Accomplishments 2. Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

IV. Conclusion and Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . 24 V. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

LaFarm is the College's 3-acre farm, which serves as a laboratory for collaborative student-faculty research and education.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

At a time when the need to confront climate change has never been clearer, I am enormously proud that Lafayette is strengthening our long-standing commitment to sustainability by launching our Climate Action Plan 2.0. This plan charts a pathway toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. We will meet this goal through a combination of initiatives that enhance our energy efficiency and conservation, increase our use of renewable and alternative fuel sources, and offset our carbon emissions. As an academic institution with distinctive strengths in the liberal arts and engineering, we are especially well-positioned to become a leader in integrating the teaching and practice of sustainability. Lafayette's Climate Action Plan 2.0 offers the opportunity for our students, faculty, and staff to work together toward our shared goal through curricular initiatives, sustainability-focused collaborative research, and innovative management practices. This critical effort will require collaboration from the entire community. We greatly appreciate your support.

Alison Byerly Lafayette College President

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Lafayette College's Climate Action Plan (CAP) is the result of a collaborative process, in which faculty, staff, and students were actively involved and enthusiastically engaged. Committee members attended meetings throughout spring semester 2018 and provided ongoing feedback as the plan was drafted. We appreciate their commitment to helping create this comprehensive plan. We also are grateful to faculty and students in Economics 408 and Engineering Studies 451 who contributed research and recommendations through their capstone projects. We want to recognize the 185 students, faculty, and staff who completed our online CAP survey in May 2018. Their

feedback provided valuable perspective on the most viable ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on campus. We're also grateful to students in ECOreps, the Food Recovery Network, Lafayette Food and Farm Cooperative (LaFFCo), LEAP, SEES, and Take Back the Tap, who participated in our Environmental Leaders Focus Group. Finally, thank you to LEAP for creating the Climate Action Plan Petition, and for all the students who spent time tabling to build support for this initiative. This effort allowed more than 1,300 students, faculty, and staff to express their support for the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2035.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Roger Demareski, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer

Kira T. Lawrence, John H. Markle Professor and Department Head, Geology and Environmental Geosciences

Dru Germanoski, Van Artsdalen Professor Geology and Environmental Geosciences and Co-Chair of Environmental Science and Environmental Studies Programs

David Brandes, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Co-Chair of Environmental Science and Environmental Studies Programs

Marie Fechik-Kirk, Director of Sustainability

WORKING COMMITTEE

ADVANCEMENT: Mary Wilford-Hunt, Senior Associate Director of Corp./Found./Gov. Relations

ATHLETICS: Andrew Foster, Associate Director of Athletics

CAMPUS LIFE: Annette Diorio, Vice President for Campus Life/Dean of Students; Chris Hunt, Dean of Equity and Inclusion

COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION: Katie Neitz, Content Strategist

DINING SERVICES: Carolyn Karwick, Resident District Manager, Bon App?tit Management Company

FACILITIES: Bruce Ferretti, Director of Facilities Operations

FACULTY: Benjamin Cohen, Associate Professor, Engineering Studies; Julia Nicodemus, Assistant Professor, Engineering Studies; Lindsay Soh, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

FINANCE: Holly L. Lantos, Director of Budget and Analytics; Jill Snyder, Director of Facilities Finance and Capital Budget

OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY: Lisa Miskelly, Assistant Director of Food and Farm; Nick DeSalvo, Energy Manager; Kendall Roberson, Sustainability Fellow; Miranda Wilcha, Sustainability Fellow 2016-2018

PURCHASING: Patty Reich, Procurement Director

RESIDENCE LIFE: Tim Uhrich, Assistant Director

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE: Emma Stierhoff '20, Biology Major and LEAP President

OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AND OFF-CAMPUS EDUCATION: Rochelle Keesler, Director

THE STONE HOUSE GROUP

Lawrence Eighmy, Managing Principal James Hayes, Senior Associate Michael Young, Associate

Joseph Narkevic '04, Associate, Mechanical Engineering Major

Kyle Low '20, Lafayette College Student Intern, Civil Engineering Major and ECOrep

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Lafayette College's Climate Action Plan 2.0 proposes achieving carbon neutrality by or before 2035. It is a continuation of the College's ongoing commitment to academic excellence and social responsibility. In January 2008, College President Dan Weiss signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), which initiated the College's commitment to eventually achieve carbon neutrality. To track progress toward the goals set out in the first version of the Climate Action Plan (CAP), the College agreed to conduct an annual inventory of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and re-evaluate its CAP every five years. This updated plan is a product of the most recent evaluation of the College's CAP and process.

Achieving carbon neutrality is an ambitious goal, but Lafayette's unique identity as a small liberal arts college with a robust engineering division makes the College enormously well-situated to become a recognized leader in campus sustainability. Having a strong Climate Action Plan will play an integral role in establishing Lafayette's reputation as a forward-thinking, enterprising leader in higher education.

A Lafayette education provides rigorous academic preparation and research training within an environment that cultivates original, creative thinkers who have an understanding of the broad cultural, political, and social influences that shape our world. This is vital because the problems of the future will not be solved by individuals in isolated disciplinary silos. Environmental challenges will require collaboration among teams of people with different expertise. Having a robust Climate Action Plan not only provides strong affirmation of the College's articulated commitment to sustainability. It also provides a wealth of educational opportunities. The projects and initiatives proposed in the plan will bring students, faculty, and staff together to use the campus and surrounding community as a living laboratory, to explore and test new models of sustainable systems. In this way, the CAP will enhance the Lafayette educational experience, giving students the knowledge, skills, and confidence to help solve environmental challenges of the future.

Integrating sustainability into the curriculum, operations, and culture of Lafayette and demonstrating best practices to our students, neighbors, and future prospects isn't just the right thing to do. It's the strategic thing to do. Many of our peers have already recognized the benefits and opportunities of leadership in this sphere. Colby, Colgate, Bowdoin, Dickinson, Hobart & William Smith, Bucknell, Gettysburg, and Middlebury, for example, have already achieved carbon neutrality or are on the path to do so in the near future. Joining this collective effort will enable us to remain competitive in the ever-shifting landscape of higher education and also build upon Lafayette's legacy of integrating academic excellence with social responsibility.

Since the College drafted its inaugural CAP, Lafayette has made significant strides. We have reduced our emissions by more than 20 percent--even as the College has expanded enrollment, programming, and building spaces. We have formally embraced our commitment by declaring sustainability one of Lafayette's three core institutional values, by establishing an Office of Sustainability, and by signing the "We're Still in Pledge" in support of climate action to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. We have enhanced our curriculum by creating degree programs in Environmental Studies and Environmental Science and positioning sustainability as a core theme in our classrooms. In 2018, the faculty approved an academic plan that identified "environment and sustainability" as one of six key focal areas. We have engaged our community by actively working with several student-led campus groups who promote environmental responsibility and demonstrate best practices to their peers in an effort to foster an ethos of sustainability on Lafayette's campus.

A CALL TO ACTION Lafayette's Climate Action Plan 2.0 is designed to serve as the framework for the College's ongoing efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2035. Through climate action planning, we aspire to use our campus as a living laboratory that enables transformational learning experiences for our students and teaches them to live within environmental bounds. The following is a brief overview of the key elements of the proposed Climate Action Plan.

KEY GOALS Reach Carbon Neutrality by 2035: This updated Climate Action Plan provides a road map for reaching carbon neutrality by 2035, with an emphasis on the initial steps for implementation. In addition to annual greenhouse gas reporting, the College will continually invest in and assess progress toward carbon neutrality and also update the Climate Action Plan every five years.

PHASE 1: IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2019-2020

Reduce Energy Emissions: While reaching carbon neutrality is a long-term goal that will require a consistent commitment through 2035 and beyond, we have an immediate opportunity to make a significant change to our carbon footprint by reducing our heating and electric energy consumption through efficiency and conservation. Through these projects, from optimizing or replacing existing HVAC systems to installing occupancy sensors, Lafayette can reduce carbon emissions while saving money.

Establish a Green Revolving Fund: Making an initial investment in tools and resources with quick payback periods will enable Lafayette to reduce energy use on campus. That energy savings--and its resulting cost savings-- can enable the College to create a green revolving fund

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