Connecticuts Climate Change Action Plan:

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Connecticuts Climate Change Action Plan
Building A Connecticut Campus Network
Christopher Nelson CT DEP chris.nelson_at_po.state.ct
.us Green Campus Initiative Meeting December 10,
2004
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OVERVIEW

• NEG/ECP Climate Change Action Plan
• NEHBE / NEG Pledge
• CT Climate Change Stakeholder Dialogue
• 2004 Legislation and Executive Orders
• How can state agencies help forward college and
  university objectives?

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Focus on Climate Change

• While a Green Campus Action Plan will include
  many elements, Connecticut is currently most
  interested in those actions that reduce
  greenhouse gas emissions.
• Energy-related initiatives (conservation,
  purchase of renewable energy, transportation,
  green buildings) are the measures in that Action
  Plan that will have the greatest impact on
  greenhouse gas reduction efforts on campus.

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Conference of New England Governorsand Eastern
Canadian PremiersCLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN 2001

• Genesis of the NEG/ECP Climate Change Action Plan
  2001
• Governors and Premiers identified climate change
  as a key regional issue
• In Halifax in July 2000, NEG/ECP tasked regional
  environmental and energy agencies with
  development of a climate change action plan
• Climate Change Action Plan 2001 adopted by
  NEG/ECP (and signed by Governor Rowland) in
  August 2001

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Conference of New England Governorsand Eastern
Canadian PremiersCLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN 2001

• Short-term Goal
• Reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2010
• Mid-term Goal
• Reduce GHG emissions by at least 10 below 1990
  levels by 2020
• Establish 5-year process, starting in 2005, to
  adjust goals and set future goals
• Long-term Goal
• Reduce GHG emissions sufficiently to eliminate
  any dangerous threat to the climate
• Expected to be 75 - 85 below 2001 levels

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Action Steps

• Action Item 1 - Establish Standardized
  Regional GHG Emissions Inventory
• Action Item 2 Establish a Plan for Reducing
  GHG Emissions and Conserving Energy
• Action Item 3 Promote Public Awareness
• Action Item 4 Governments Lead by Example
  Reduce Public Sector GHG by 25 by 2012

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Action Steps (cont)

• Action Item 5 Reduce Electricity Sector GHG
  Lower CO2/MWH by 20 by 2025
• Action Item 6 Reduce Total Energy Demand
  through Conservation
• Action Item 7 Reduce and/or Adapt to
  Negative Social, Economic, and
  Environmental Impacts of Climate Change
• Action Item 8 Reduce Growth in
  Transportation Sector GHG Emissions

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Conference of New England Governorsand Eastern
Canadian Premiers27th Annual Conference - 2002

• The NEG/ECP Climate Change Workgroup proposes as
  one of four initial projects for regional
  implementation
• College University Partnerships in Emissions
  Reductions. This project would encourage the
  regions colleges and universities to sign on to
  the broad goals of the Plan and work within their
  own institutions to reduce greenhouse gas
  emissions to 10 below 1990 levels by 2012. Such
  an initiative could result in the reduction of
  600,000 to 650,000 metric tons of carbon.

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NEBHE / NEG Pledge

• In August 2003, the New England Board of Higher
  Education (NEBHE) and the New England Governors
  Conference sent a letter to the presidents of all
  New England colleges universities.
• Presidents were asked to sign a voluntary pledge
  to support the goals of the NEG/ECP Climate
  Change Action Plan.
• 85 Colleges Universities in New England have
  signed the pledge (as of April 2004).

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NEBHE Pledges in CT

• 19 Institutions in CT have signed (as of
  April 2004)

• Central Connecticut State University
• Charter Oak State College
• Connecticut College
• Eastern Connecticut State University
• Fairfield University
• Gateway Community College
• Goodwin College
• Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
• Naugatuck Valley Community College
• Northwestern Connecticut Community College

• Saint Joseph College
• Southern Connecticut State University
• St. Vincents College
• Trinity College
• University of Bridgeport
• University of Connecticut
• University of New Haven
• Western Connecticut State University
• Yale University

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Connecticut Climate Change Stakeholders Dialog
(2003)

• Between April and December 2003, nearly 100
  organizations, including businesses, non-profit
  organizations, state and local government
  agencies and academic institutions, worked
  together to develop a set of recommended actions
  to reduce Connecticut's emissions of greenhouse
  gases.

• 55 Recommended Actions (RAs) developed. 38 were
  accepted for implementation by Governors Office.
• RA 23 - Green Campus Initiative
• Promote a green campus initiative with all
  Connecticut colleges, universities, private and
  secondary schools. This initiative will inform
  school administrators and students about how to
  pursue energy policies with minimal environmental
  impact and create learning labs to teach
  sustainability.

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Governors Executive Order 32

• Issued in April 2004
• Calls for the state to purchase
• 20 clean energy by 2010,
• 50 clean energy by 2020 and
• 100 clean energy by 2050.

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Public Act 04-252 An Act Concerning Climate
Change

• CT must do its share to help achieve NEG/ECP
  regional GHG reduction goals
• Mandatory reporting of GHGs for largest
  stationary emitters of air pollutants (Title V
  sources)
• CT must work to create a regional GHG Registry to
  store GHG emissions data
• Finalize a Climate Change Action Plan by the end
  of 2004 that expands the reductions achieved by
  the stakeholders recommendations.

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CTs Colleges Universities are Part of the
Solution

• Recognizing this fact, CT DEP has provided some
  assistance already
• CT Campuses for Climate Action workshop
• CT Green Campus E-mail List
• Inclusion of College / University page on states
  official climate change website

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Connecticut Campuses for Climate Action Workshop

• Held in New Haven, CT on March 28, 2003.
• Workshop recognized by EPA for being the first
  statewide meeting of its kind.
• Materials are available on Clean Air - Cool
  Planet website
• http//www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/information/
  ccca_presentations.php

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Green Campus E-mail List

• A CT-Green-Campus-Exchange listserve was
  established in June 2003 to facilitate
  communication between Connecticut campuses.
• Join by sending an e-mail to
• CT-Green-Campus-Exchange_at_yahoogroups.com
• or by signing up at http//groups.yahoo.com/group
  /CT-Green-Campus-Exchange

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www.ctclimatechange.com
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Other State Assistance

• Guidance on projects (e.g., recycling)
• Possibility of expedited environmental permitting
  for desirable projects
• Green product purchasing on state contract
• EnergyStar benchmarking of campus buildings
• Financial incentives from the Clean Energy Fund
  and the Energy Conservation Management fund
• Other suggestions?

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Take Action, Reap Benefits

• Promote cleaner air and healthier communities
• Save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Save money
• Receive recognition
• DEP Commissioners Green Circle Award
• www.ctclimatechange.com
• LEED Certification
• National recognition from EPA?

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QUESTIONS?
Additional resources follow...
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Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence
(C2E2)

• Supporting the continuous improvement of
  environmental management in higher education
  through promotion of professional networking,
  information exchange, resources and tools, and
  the development of innovative regulatory models.
• http//www.c2e2.org/

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Clean Air - Cool Planets Campuses for Climate
Action program

• Framework For Action
• Develop a campus-wide greenhouse gas (GHG)
  emissions inventory
• Raise awareness within the campus community about
  the importance and feasibility of addressing
  climate change
• Adopt an emissions reduction target consistent
  with the goals of the New England Governors
  Eastern Canadian Premiers Regional Climate Change
  Action Plan
• Develop and implement a strategic plan (polices,
  programs, significant actions) to meet the
  target
• Monitor progress over time, incorporate GHG
  reduction target and strategic plan into
  institutional planning and reporting processes.
• http//www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/for_campuses.ph
  p

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ENERGY STAR program

• US EPA has developed tools resources designed
  to assist the college university sector
• www.energystar.gov/highered
• This website includes information on showcase
  dorm rooms, (computer) monitor power management,
  purchasing procurement of energy-efficient
  products and online training presentations

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Rebuild America program

• US DOEs Rebuild America program provides
  guidance on how to improve facilities, energy
  technologies approaches, how to benchmark
  current future energy performance and how to
  demonstrate the savings potential for individual
  campuses university systems. Assistance can
  also be provided to make already-planned and
  financed projects achieve as much energy
  improvement as possible.
• www.rebuild.org/sectors/col_uni.asp

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US DOE Publication

• The Energy Smart Guide to Campus Cost Savings
• available online at www.nrel.gov/docs/
  fy03osti/34291.pdf

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Existing Campus Programs

• Numerous campuses have already launched
  substantial green campus / climate change
  efforts. Following are just a few examples

• Harvard Green Campus Initiative
• www.greencampus.harvard.edu/index.php
• SUNY Buffalos UB Green program
• http//wings.buffalo.edu/ubgreen
• Tufts Climate Initiative
• www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/TCIMenu.html

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National Wildlife Federation

• NWF has established a Campus Ecology program
  designed to help transform the nation's college
  campuses into living models of an ecologically
  sustainable society www.nwf.org/campusecology
• NWF also compiles a Campus Environmental Yearbook
  that highlights environmental initiatives being
  implemented at colleges universities across the
  country
• www.nwf.org/campusEcology/dspYearbook.cfm

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USLF / Talloires Declaration

• The Association of University Leaders for a
  Sustainable Future (ULSF) is the Secretariat for
  signatories of the Talloires Declaration, a
  ten-point action plan committing institutions to
  sustainability environmental literacy in
  teaching and practice. Over 300 university
  presidents and chancellors in more than 40
  countries have signed the Declaration. More
  information on the Talloires Declaration can be
  found at
• www.ulsf.org/programs_talloires.html

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GHG Inventory

• Develop a campus GHG Inventory to determine where
  emissions are occurring and to establish a
  baseline from which GHG reductions can be
  measured
• Clean Air Cool Planet can provide software
  assistance to help compile a GHG inventory
• www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/for_campuses.php
• Information compiled can also be used to analyze
  energy usage on campus