ACUPCC Reporting System

Climate Action Plan for University of Southern Maine

Submitted on January 15, 2010; last updated on December 27, 2011

Climate Action Plan Details

Climate Action Plan USM's Guide to A Climate-Neutral Education
January 13, 2010
No information provided.
No information provided

Emissions Targets

Climate Neutrality Target
2040
If you have any qualifying statements with regard to the climate neutrality target date, please include them here, and/or if you have chosen "TBD" and not specified a neutrality date, please enter the reason and explain the process for establishing a target date in the future.

From USM President Selma Botman's acceptance letter, dated January 13, 2010:

"USM pledges to produce no net emissions of green house gases as soon as possible and no later than 2040."

Interim Milestone Emission-Reduction Target Target Date Baseline
20% reduction in Total Scope 1 Emissions by 2025 relative to baseline emissions in 2006
25% reduction in Total Scope 2 Emissions by 2020 relative to baseline emissions in 2006
20% reduction in Total Scope 3 Emissions by 2025 relative to baseline emissions in 2006
25% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions by 2025 relative to baseline emissions in 2006
50% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions by 2030 relative to baseline emissions in 2006
100% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions by 2040 relative to baseline emissions in 2006
Nonstandard Emissions Targets
Please enter below any targets that do not fit into the above format.

Reduce Scope 2 emissions by 50% by 2025 - Procure a minimum of 50% of electricity, not including Maine's RPS requirement, from ghg-free sources by 2025.

Narratives

Please describe your institution's greenhouse gas mitigation strategies.

The University of Southern Maine will "Integrate the goal of ghg reductions into the University's Master Plan and Strategic Planning Process and documents." The plan establishes a goal for "all new construction to be climate neutral" but focuses on near term actions that will reduce energy waste and improve the energy-efficiency with which services are provided. Interim goals focus on reducing University-related transportation, fuel-switching and further diversifying the University's power portfolio by procuring more clean electricity, building on the University's stated commitment to continue to purchase RECs for its seven LEED certified buildings (three LEED Gold). The plan states that USM will adopt a heating season set point goal of 68 degrees F and "strive to air condition to no lower than 78 degrees F." The proposal suggests that USM will need to offset 3,700 metric tons CO2e by 2040. FMI: http://www.usm.maine.edu/dfm/pages/CAP%20Final%201.0.pdf

Please describe your institution's plans to make sustainability a part of the curriculum for all students.

Provided grant funds remain available, continue to support USM's nationally recognized Maine Watersheds Project,

http://www.usm.maine.edu/teachsustain/

an annual two-day faculty development workshop designed to help faculty identify the principles of sustainability most relevant to their disciplines and integrate study of these principles into courses. Continue to have the Sustainability Coordinator offer class presentations and campus tours on sustainability issues to classes in all disciplines. Build on the success of USM's 2005 Convocation on Environmental Sustainability by initiating a campus-wide social marketing plan that will begin with an All-Campus Energy & Climate Disruption Convocation to be held Spring Semester 2010. (The USM Business School has just agreed to hold a similar event in February 2010 primarily for Business School Faculty and business students. The event will explore faculty and student interest in setting up a Net Impact chapter at the Business School.)

Please describe your institution's plans to expand research efforts toward the achievement of climate neutrality.

Establish a system to encourage and track curricular and research efforts that address ghg emissions reductions. Take advantage of opportunities for the Office of Public Affairs to promote ghg-related research projects at USM.

Please describe your institution's plans to expand community outreach efforts toward the achievement of climate neutrality.

Use the resources of the Office of Public Affairs to promote USM's Sustainable Building Program, USM's three LEED Gold buildings, and ghg-reductions projects implemented at USM. Continue to offer presentations and events on, and tours of, "more sustainable practices" at USM to area schools and community groups. Improve and expand the LEED Gold Wishcamper Center's "Green Spot Tour" to create a campus where the buildings themselves "teach".