Accepted Proposals

18. What If Hamilton Sustainability and Student Athletics worked with community members to offset travel emissions while educating students about Hamilton's climate goals?

May 16, 2025

The collaboration led by: Elizabeth Gross

With collaborators: Carson Hall, Ben Zimmerman 

The project hopes to work with community partners to gain carbon offsets for the college while providing labor to the sustainability partner. HSC and Hamilton Men's Hockey is working to build partnerships with local organizations in and around Clinton, NY, who share our commitment to sustainability and community engagement. We believe that involving the local community is a crucial element of this project, and we’re eager to work together to not only offset our emissions but also strengthen the connection between our athletic programs and the environmental health of the surrounding area. HSC will used emission calculations from CES.

The proposal was submitted for CATALYST funding (less than $10,000) and was ranked medium with respect to the other proposals based upon the evaluation rubric.

The committee applauds the proposers for:

• The intention to address sustainability and carbon neutrality, which aligns with broader environmental concerns.
• The initiative to engage athletics in sustainability efforts
• The potential for this idea to be expanded beyond athletics to the broader college community.

The points that the committee recommends the proposers need to continue to develop include:

• Clarifying the purpose and function of the proposal
• Explore the potential for scaling the program
• Outlining the steps or plans that would be submitted to Second Nature

From the committee’s perspective, the next phase of this project should include:

• Collaborating with Facilities Management  (Natural Resources Supervisor) as well as continued collaboration with faculty to coordinate needed equipment and support
• Procuring the necessary energy and farming materials

The committee recommends funding the next phase of this proposal for $5,000 to move this idea forward for further aspirational design and development.