By Jim Simpson, Johnson Controls

When students, faculty and staff return to colleges and universities across America in a few weeks, many will discover more than just freshly painted dorm rooms, updated menus at the dining halls and a few new starters on the sports teams. Many will also notice an increased sense of urgency about what is arguably one of the most pressing issues we face: climate change.

You’d be hard pressed to find many places where the commitment to doing something about climate is greater than it is on campus. Colleges and universities have been on the cutting edge of sustainability – as they should be. After all, our institutions of higher learning are shaping the attitudes of the generation that will have to cope with the consequences of climate change. They’re conducting important research while educating the scientists, engineers and other experts who must devise innovative and effective ways to halt climate change. And they’re leaders – locally, nationally, even globally – on developing the policies necessary to accomplish the mission.

Thankfully, so many colleges and universities are enthusiastically leading the way on sustainability. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) recently reported that in 2008:

• More than 66 academic programs focusing on sustainability were created
• At least 13 research centers dedicated to sustainability opened – and three times that many are planned
• Nearly 300 colleges and universities publicly reported their greenhouse gas emissions
• Over 130 green campus buildings were planned, started, opened or granted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – LEED® certification.

To date, 649 institutions have signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), pledging to neutralize their own greenhouse gas emissions while accelerating research and education aimed at finding solutions. When the ACUPCC holds its annual Climate Leadership Summit in Chicago this week, the focus will be on helping more colleges and universities move aggressively to develop and implement climate action plans on their campuses.

A new book – co-sponsored by Johnson Controls – chronicles the efforts of the many institutions that are already reducing their carbon footprints. It’s called "Boldly Sustainable" – an in-depth look at how colleges and universities are leveraging their commitment to sustainability to cut costs, reduce their impact on the environment, attract the best and the brightest students and faculty, find new sources of funding and build support among their alumni and in their communities. The National Association of College and University Business Officers is sending out some 6,600 free copies of the book to campuses nationwide.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh – a signatory to the ACUPCC – is one of the institutions profiled in the book. A partner with Johnson Controls since 1992, UW-Oshkosh was one of the first major universities in the nation to develop a plan to become carbon neutral. The UW-Oshkosh goal: nothing less than complete energy independence by 2012.

To help set them on the path to accomplishing this objective, we worked with students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders to identify and prioritize sustainability needs, which included reducing energy use across all operations, increasing the use of renewable energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the focus on sustainability education and curriculum.

The comprehensive facility audit we conducted identified measures such as upgrading mechanical systems, equipment, lighting, controls and other facility improvements. We reviewed renewable energy opportunities that included solar thermal and photovoltaic systems, wind power, biomass, cogeneration and digester gas. We established a carbon footprint baseline and projected future emissions. The result is a comprehensive plan to drive decision-making on the best strategies for reducing emissions as the plan is implemented.

"Boldly Sustainable" certainly describes what UW-Oshkosh and hundreds of similar institutions are doing. But it’s also more than just the title of a book. It’s a challenge to all of us to transform how we live, work and learn to reverse climate change and build a sustainable future. Colleges and universities across the land are rising to that challenge and providing the leadership required to reach our goal.

Efficiency Now. It’s never been more important.

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