Progress Report for Broome Community College
Submitted on April 11, 2012; Last updated on April 11, 2012
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.
General Statement of Progress
Broome Community College has continued to demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability despite numerous financial challenges over the past few years. Most notably, the campus has expanded its recycling program and experimented with a “carry-in/carry-out” policy for classroom waste, eliminating the wastebaskets in the trial classrooms to encourage students to use the enhanced recycling stations that were added to central locations throughout the campus.
In addition to such improvements to existing campus spaces, the college will soon break ground on a new Natural Science Center that has been designed to meet LEED Gold Standards. This highly visible commitment to sustainability will serve to remind members of the campus, as well as the Greater Binghamton community, that BCC is working to fulfill its commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
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GHG Emissions & Reduction Targets
| Climate Neutrality Target Date: | 2050 |
|---|
| Interim Milestone Emission-Reduction Target | Target Date | Baseline* |
|---|---|---|
| 10% reduction in Total Scope 3 Emissions | by 2015 | relative to baseline emissions in 2007 |
| 25% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions | by 2020 | relative to baseline emissions in 2007 |
| 60% reduction in Total Scopes 1, 2, 3 Emissions | by 2030 | relative to baseline emissions in 2007 |
GHGs summary
| Reporting Year | Gross Emissions | Net Emissions | Full Time Enrollments | Total Bldg. Sq. Ft. | [action] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 20649.0 | 20649.0 | 6275.0 | 591643.0 | [ view ] |
| 2009 | 18955.2 | 18955.2 | 6275.0 | 591643.0 | [ view ] |
| 2012 | 18661.4 | 18661.4 | 6229.0 | 591643.0 | [ view ] |
-
Change in GHG gross emissions
-1693.8
-
Change in GHG emissions per 1000 sq.ft. building space
-2.86287507838
-
Change in GHG emissions per full time enrollment (FTE)
-0.269928286853
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?
Since signing the ACUPCC in 2007, the campus has developed an A.S. program in Environmental Science. Through a combination of existing courses as well as a number of new courses with focus on sustainability, interested students can now pursue this degree option in addition to traditional disciplines in the physical and life sciences.
In addition to specialized courses and a degree program for students looking to pursue careers in environmental science, the campus involves the entire student body in decision making through our shared governance structure, with the inclusion of students on committees and a student trustee to voice student ideas and concerns. The student body is consulted during the planning and implementation of efforts to improve campus sustainability, with student support of recycling, as demonstrated through student survey results, being a key factor in the campus move to centralized recycling and trash units and the removal of wastebaskets from certain classroom spaces.
Lastly, the campus has offered a number of presentations with a focus on sustainability during the Common Hour, a time when nearly the entire campus is free to attend such events, so that students might learn more about what the campus is doing collectively, and what they can do individually, to help foster a culture of sustainability at BCC.
Education methods in use:
In addition to the inclusion of lectures on sustainability concepts in many courses, BCC has a strong commitment to service-learning and a number of courses, such as BIO 117 and PHS 116, have made sustainability-focused projects a part of the courses. Students have investigated the composition of campus waste and surveyed fellow students to determine their opinions regarding the importance of recycling on campus and how to best improve the campus recycling program.
Education methods in use
- Included sustainability learning outcomes, tracks, or certificates in every academic major.
Does your institution offer an undergraduate degree program(s) related to climate change/sustainability?
Yes
Environmental Science, A.S.Does your institution offer a graduate degree program in climate change/sustainability?
No
Co-Curriculum
Does your institution have a central sustainability website that consolidates information about the institution's sustainability efforts?
Yes
While BCC is not a research institution, the projects undertaken in order to identify measures the campus can reasonably undertake toward improved sustainability have involved significant “research” by students through service-learning projects in cataloging waste, surveying fellow students, and compiling data in order to determine if a particular change, such as removal of wastebaskets from classrooms, will meet with support or resistance from the campus community.
Research
If applicable, how is your institution expanding research efforts toward the achievement of climate neutrality research?
While BCC is not a research institution, the projects undertaken in order to identify measures the campus can reasonably undertake toward improved sustainability have involved significant “research” by students through service-learning projects in cataloging waste, surveying fellow students, and compiling data in order to determine if a particular change, such as removal of wastebaskets from classrooms, will meet with support or resistance from the campus community.Does your institution have a program to encourage student climate and or sustainability research?
No
Does your institution have a program to encourage faculty climate and or sustainability research?
No
Community Engagement
How is your institution expanding community outreach efforts toward the achievement of climate neutrality?
BCC has hosted a number of presentations open to the community about local issues with a sustainability focus, such as the risks and rewards of potential hydraulic fracturing (“hydrofracking”) in the Southern Tier of New York. In addition to hosting such events on campus, the BCC Ecology Club goes out into the community for environmental clean-up days each April as a part of Earth Week, our campus recognition and celebration of Earth Day.Does your institution participate in community climate change and or sustainability partnerships?
Yes
BCC has hosted a number of presentations open to the community about local issues with a sustainability focus, such as the risks and rewards of potential hydraulic fracturing (“hydrofracking”) in the Southern Tier of New York. In addition to hosting such events on campus, the BCC Ecology Club goes out into the community for environmental clean-up days each April as a part of Earth Week, our campus recognition and celebration of Earth Day.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?
No
Energy & Finances
Energy Efficiency Projects
Number of Energy Efficiency Retrofit Projects planned, but not yet implemented:
7Number of Energy Efficiency Retrofit Projects completed since signing the ACUPCC:
16Number 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:
1For all buildings, the green building certification/rating used is:
USGBC:LEED
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?
not sureAmount spent on CAP projects:
$1-10M