Progress Report for Antioch University New England
Submitted on Jan. 3, 2012; Last updated on May 1, 2013
The Progress Report is intended to help signatories assess and track progress toward the goals outlined
in their Climate Action Plans and to share that progress with their stakeholders and the general public.
click on a section heading below to expand its content; click again to collapse
General Statement of Progress
AUNE has made significant progress since we began implementing our Climate Action Plan. Specific progress includes construction of a new campus bike shelter and the launch of the Antioch Commuter Transportation initiative: http://www.antiochne.edu/ssj/act/. We have also installed water bottle refilling stations on campus and adopted a specific provision on the purchase/use of bottled water on campus in our Responsible Purchasing Policy as part of a student-led campaign to end the use of bottled water on campus. We have installed a rain garden and pervious pavement sidewalks. The campus has also reduced campus electricity usage by 34% cumulatively over a four year period (FY07-10) and reduced printing on campus in the student computer resource room by 85% from peak 2007-08 fiscal year usage to 2010-11 fiscal year usage through introduction of PIN-protected printing accounts. We have also made progress toward implementation of longer-term action steps in the plan regarding installation of renewable energy sources for heating, cooling and powering the campus and for reducing commuter travel emissions, the two most significant portions of our plan.
GHG Emissions & Reduction Targets
| Climate Neutrality Target Date: | 2020 |
|---|
| Interim Milestone Emission-Reduction Target | Target Date | Baseline* |
|---|---|---|
| 100% reduction in Total Scope 1 Emissions | by 2018 | relative to baseline emissions in 2008 |
| 10% reduction in Total Scope 2 Emissions | by 2015 | relative to baseline emissions in 2008 |
| 10% reduction in Commuting Emissions | by 2015 | relative to baseline emissions in 2008 |
| 100% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions | by 2020 | relative to baseline emissions in 2008 |
| 18% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions | by 2018 | relative to baseline emissions in 2008 |
GHGs summary
| Reporting Year | Gross Emissions | Net Emissions | Full Time Enrollments | Total Bldg. Sq. Ft. | [action] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2651.0 | 2651.0 | 972.0 | 85000.0 | [ view ] |
| 2010 | 2582.0 | 2535.0 | 811.0 | 90500.0 | [ view ] |
| 2012 | 2492.7 | 2445.7 | 885.0 | 90500.0 | [ view ] |
-
Change in GHG gross emissions
-158.3
-
Change in GHG emissions per 1000 sq.ft. building space
-3.64458888528
-
Change in GHG emissions per full time enrollment (FTE)
0.0892439143475
Education, Research, & Community Engagement
Curriculum
How is your institution making climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and other educational experiences for all students?
Three of our five academic departments offer "green" degrees that explicitly address climate change, including the new Sustainable Development and Climate Change program track – a Professional Science Master’s degree – which integrates courses in climate change adaptation and resiliency, sustainable community planning, and building sustainable organizations. Last year, we piloted a new Conservation Psychology Institute, with a specific focus on sustainability and climate neutrality. The CPI will run again this year.
In addition, AUNE faculty and students have engaged in literally hundreds of partnerships making the institution a leader in promoting environmental stewardship and addressing climate change. One example is the 10% Challenge, a faculty-supervised student project and a collaborative effort between AUNE and Keene's Cities for Climate Protection Committee. It targets Keene businesses to voluntarily commit to reducing GHG emissions by 10%. The project assists businesses with an energy audit to identify their energy consumption and to develop an action plan.
AUNE's Department of Environmental Studies, the country's first graduate-level environmental studies department, offers master's and PhD programs in multiple disciplines including an award winning Collaborative Service Initiative (formerly the Advocacy Clinic) that is focused on social justice and sustainability.
AUNE's Management Department offers a highly regarded MBA in Sustainability (Green MBA). In 2008, Net Impact reviewed sixty-three MBA programs nationwide and listed AUNE's Green MBA in the top five, including two first-place rankings, in seven of thirteen categories.
AUNE's Education Department offers the Educating for Sustainability MEd, the first and only graduate program in the country that explicitly links sustainability and education. This program trains in-service educators to apply sustainability at any grade level and every subject area.
The course, Principles of Sustainability, is an integral part of the curriculum for the programs in the Departments of Environmental Studies, Management, and Education.
Our Carbon Counts: You Can Too education and outreach campaign, established in 2006, includes a community-building speaker series featuring faculty, student and alumni expertise on understanding and achieving sustainability and climate neutrality. The campaign raises awareness about dimensions of climate change and what actions individuals and institutions can take to reduce emissions and adapt to climate-change impacts.
Education methods in use
- Offered professional development to all faculty in sustainability education.
Does your institution offer an undergraduate degree program(s) related to climate change/sustainability?
No
AUNE does not offer any undergraduate programming. We do offer a Professional Science Master's degree in Sustainable Development & Climate Change. http://www.antiochne.edu/es/sdcc/default.cfmDoes your institution offer a graduate degree program in climate change/sustainability?
Yes
Link to all AUNE graduate degree programs in climate change/sustainability: http://www.antiochne.edu/green/default.cfm
Specific degree programs include:
Environmental Studies Master's of Science degree, with concentration in Advocacy for Social Justice & Sustainability (http://www.antiochne.edu/es/eao/) and Professional Science Master's degree in Sustainable Development & Climate Change (http://www.antiochne.edu/es/sdcc/default.cfm).
Resource Management & Conservation Master's of Science degree program (http://www.antiochne.edu/es/rmc/default.cfm)
PhD in Environmental Studies: http://www.antiochne.edu/es/phd/
MBA in Organizational and Environmental Sustainability: http://www.antiochne.edu/om/mba/default.cfm
MEd in Educating for Sustainability: http://www.antiochne.edu/ed/exed/efs.cfm
Co-Curriculum
Does your institution have a central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts?
Yes
http://www.antiochne.edu/ssj/default.cfm
Research
If applicable, how is your institution expanding research efforts toward the achievement of climate neutrality research?
AUNE's faculty research initiatives include cutting-edge applied research projects that address adaptation measures to deal with increased storm-water run-off associated with climate change. Faculty also established a regional partnership called the Monadnock Ecological Research and Education Project (MERE) that engages area high school students in studying the evidence of climate change on Mt. Monadnock and provides information to the public about these research findings; and the Center for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (CTEC).Does your institution have a program to encourage student climate and or sustainability research?
Yes
See previous discussion of MERE.
Community Engagement
How is your institution expanding community outreach efforts toward the achievement of climate neutrality?
AUNE faculty and students have contributed to the development of the City of Keene's Climate Adaptation Plan, a first of its kind in the world, and to the city’s new Comprehensive Master Plan, which explicitly addresses climate change adaptation, mitigation, and sustainability. Faculty and students also recently completed COOL MONADNOCK, a three-year community engagement project that has worked to achieve significant reductions in GHG emissions in – and to develop a regional CAP for – the Monadnock Region.Does your institution participate in community climate change and or sustainability partnerships?
Yes
Has your institution advocated for federal, state, and/or local public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance your goal of climate neutrality?
Yes
Energy & Finances
Energy Efficiency Projects
Number of Energy Efficiency Retrofit Projects planned, but not yet implemented:
10Number of buildings that have received a green building certification since signing the ACUPCC:
0Number of green buildings planned or scheduled for completion in the next 2 years:
0
Renewable Energy
Financial Data
savings...Has your Climate Action Plan and/or related sustainability efforts saved your institution money so far, e.g. by reducing operational expenses?
yesAmount spent on CAP projects:
$10-49kEstimated amount saved to date from implementing your CAP projects:
$10-49kEstimated total savings expected from implementing entire Climate Action Plan
$10-49k
- Financing Methods utilized for Mitigation or Renewable Energy Projects:
- Other
-
Funds from regular operating budget used to finance small-scale changes (e.g., installation of light sensors).
- Other
Non-public data
For more information about Antioch University New England's climate & sustainability efforts please click here