Syracuse University will participate in the White House American Campuses Act on Climate day of action on Thursday to promote sustainability and address climate change on college campuses.

The White House is launching the American Campuses Act on Climate day of action to increase the support of a strong climate agreement in Paris that sets the world on the path toward a low-carbon, sustainable future, according to an SU News release.

The day of action’s events include an interactive, live-streamed conversation with college students on Thursday to “energize young people to achieve ambitious climate goals on their campuses and push for increased global action,” according to the release.

The event will begin at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday, according to the SU Sustainability website.

Ever since 2007 when SU was an early signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), the university has actively pursued the parallel goals of carbon neutrality and integration of sustainability into the curriculum and research, according to the release.

As part of the White House American Campuses Act on Climate, SU made three main pledges, according to the release:

• Continue its ambitious program of purchasing 35 percent green power.
• Honor its commitment last spring to prohibit direct investment of endowment funds in coal mining and other fossil fuel companies.
• Continue to integrate campus planning, design and efficiency projects with student research and learning experiences for sustainability.

In 2005, SU began voluntarily purchasing 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily New York state-generated wind power, according to the release.

SU bought 41 million kWh of green power in 2015, according to the release, placing it in the EPA Green Power Partnership’s Top 30 College and University ranking.

The university is also seeking additional investments through its endowment in companies that are developing new technology related to solar energy, biofuels and advanced recycling, according to the release.

The Climate Change Garden beside the Life Sciences Complex, one of SU’s recent flagship projects, was designed to educate students on the impact of climate change with a variety of trees and shrubs — some native to warmer and drier climates, according to the release.

SU students also played a role in developing engineering plans and designing the retrofit of the Carrier Dome for rain water capture and reuse, according to the release.

Published on November 18, 2015 at 10:38 pm

Contact Sara: smswann@syr.edu | @saramswann