CC实现碳中和目标
CC首先在落基山脉地区实现了这一里程碑
赌博正规的十大网站已经实现了碳中和, a goal it set in 2009 when it committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2020. 经过十年的努力, the ambitious target has been met - even as the college increased its building footprint by more than 10% during that time. CC仅是北美的第八所大学, 也是落基山脉地区的第一个, 为了实现这一目标.
This achievement is a shared effort; the result of the hard work, 承诺, 和整个赌博正规的十大网站社区的智慧. We thank all those who helped make this happen: former President Dick Celeste, the Board of Trustees who voted to support his signing of the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, 参与这些活动的学生和年轻校友, 以及CC的教职员工, 特别是可持续发展委员会的成员, 谁的工作和领导是无价的.
We have learned a lot in the past decade doing this work and look forward to sharing the knowledge we have gained with our Colorado community and institutions across the country.
——吉尔·蒂芬瑟勒，赌博正规的十大网站院长
科罗拉多大学 stands out among other schools that have reached carbon neutrality in an important way. CC, 这是一所全国顶尖的文理学校，位于派克峰山脚下, has the greatest emission reductions on 校园 while buying the fewest offsets than any other U.S. 校园.
"This means we've done the difficult work of reducing our on-校园 emissions first, rather than what some see as 'buying our way' to neutrality through offsets," says CC Director of 可持续性 Ian Johnson. 赌博正规的十大网站以一种可复制和可扩展的方式做到了这一点, meaning nearly any other institution could apply the strategies used by CC to achieve its goal of carbon neutrality.
Another significant factor is that 科罗拉多大学 is the only carbon-neutral institution located in a high carbon intensity electric grid with two functioning coal plants operating in the city. 值得注意的是, says CC Director of 可持续性 Ian Johnson, because "electricity use in our region generates more carbon emissions than most any other region, making major reductions in our footprint all the more difficult to achieve as our electricity use pushes up emission faster than other institutions. It also means our renewable energy generation and use have bigger impacts on global emissions than in other regions."
科罗拉多大学 embarked on its journey to carbon neutrality in 2009, when then-president Richard F. Celeste signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), 现在被称为第二自然碳承诺. 塞莱斯特在2007年选择不签约, 更喜欢先掌握更多的信息, including the college's carbon footprint and the efforts necessary for it to reach carbon neutrality, 包括减少学院的温室气体排放, 减少能源使用, using more renewable energy and emphasizing the importance of sustainable energy sources.
Since the college's baseline year in 2008, CC has reduced on-校园 emissions by 75%. 赌博正规的十大网站通过各种举措实现了中立, 包括能效升级, 建筑装修, 校园订婚, 现场可再生能源和当地可再生能源购买, reducing its carbon footprint even as its physical footprint expanded by 10% with the alliance with the Colorado Springs 美术中心 in 2017. 在美术中心和比米斯艺术学院之间, CC增加了142个以上,它的建筑面积增加了1000平方英尺.
Because climate change is linked to and influenced by many different factors - from environmental racism to human health and income inequality, 干净的水, 粮食生产和获取, and more - achieving carbon neutrality impacts far more than just the college's operations, 约翰逊说. 学院正在开展的许多倡议, including adding more sustainability courses and finding new ways to make the college more accessible to students from diverse geographic, 种族和社会经济背景, increase students' literacy and understanding across majors and strengthen the institutions that build the resilient society that will be needed to adapt to impacts from climate change.
学院的一些主要举措包括:
- 一个为期14周的行为改变项目, 14个习惯，减少14%的电力, 热水和水的使用. CC saved nearly $100,000 in utility costs through the "aCClimate14" effort."
- 科罗拉多大学's first high-performance energy design guidelines were written for new and renovated buildings.
- 图书馆的资料 became the nation's largest academic net-zero energy library following a massive underground geothermal energy project and major renovations.
- East Campus 住房 opened with sustainable architecture and energy systems
- 校园内外建造了许多太阳能光伏装置, 最初由一名学生于2008年发起.
- CC has worked with Colorado Springs Utilities over the past decade to find ways to partner and meet its goals. This has helped lead to the addition of the 255 megawatts of solar in current and planned projects for the utility.
计算剩余的排放量, which include difficult-to-avoid emissions such as college-related air travel, 出国留学, 通勤和污水处理, 科罗拉多大学 is investing in carbon offsets - innovative projects that reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. 具体地说, CC has invested in a methane destruction project at the Larimer Country landfill in Northern Colorado. 该项目防止甲烷(CH4), 一种非常强效的温室气体, 防止进入大气层, and instead uses the CH4 to generate electricity directly to the Larimer County community.
The Larimer Country landfill project has co-benefits that go beyond reducing emissions; it has opened doors for future carbon related markets, reduced air pollution in the front range by adding renewable energy to the gird and supports the local community of Larimer Country. 通过寻找校外解决方案来解决部分排放问题, 科罗拉多大学 is an early adopter in creating and developing carbon markets and projects for the future, 额外的好处是实现了其雄心勃勃的2020年目标.
Although CC has met its carbon neutrality goal, it does not mean the work is finished. 科罗拉多大学 also is looking at options to not simply purchase carbon offsets, but to invest in developing new projects that are more socially and environmentally responsible, 从而有利于我们的核心学术使命, 将发展中市场作为气候变化解决方案的一部分, and providing positive social benefits for our communities and region.
