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Alumni Review - Spring 2009

Committed to a Green Tomorrow


The American College and University Presidents ­Climate Commitment, signed by Hamilton President Joan Hinde Stewart in April 2007, dedicates the ­College to a leadership role in reducing greenhouse gases, encouraging the use of renewable energy, and providing students with the knowledge to work toward carbon neutrality.

The ACUPCC provides a framework and broad timetable by which participating schools build long-term plans to reach carbon neutrality, the elimination of net carbon emissions. Hamilton is developing such a plan this year, including a target date for ­carbon neutrality. The ACUPCC also sets — and Hamilton already has met — a number of short-term and interim goals, including:
  • A comprehensive inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Construction guidelines that will meet or exceed LEED Silver standards.
  • A policy requiring the purchase of Energy Star-certified products.
  • The purchase of at least 15 percent of the ­College's electricity from renewable resources.
  • Participation in the national RecycleMania competition.
  • The creation of institutional structures and time­tables to guide environmental policy at the College.
"As an institution of higher learning, we look toward the future — both the future of our students and the future of our world," Stewart said in signing the ACUPCC. "Planning responsibly for that future means maintaining a healthy environment. Through its academic, construction and purchasing programs, and through faculty and student research, Hamilton has demonstrated its commitment to environmental protection."

For more on the ACUPCC, go to
www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org

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