American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is an effort to garner support from institutional leaders to model ways to minimize global warming and to educate students and the community on the importance of achieving climate neutrality and sustainability. College and university leaders are asked to sign a commitment to the following:

1) Initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality, such as completing a comprehensive inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions;

2) Implement two or more actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while the more comprehensive plan is being developed. Such actions can include green policies on new campus construction; offsetting emissions generated by personnel air travel; provide incentives for public transportation use; and purchase at least 15% of electricity from renewable sources.

The program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address global warming on college campuses.

Over 500 colleges and universities have signed the commitment and submitted progress reports on their achievements to date. Ninety nine percent of participating institutions implemented at least two of the recommended actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.