December 2019 Implementer
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Notable News
Second Nature Goes to COP25
From December 5th through December 10th, Second Nature President Tim Carter, and Climate Programs Senior Manager Ruby Woodside, led a Second Nature delegation to COP25 representing the Climate Leadership Network. In addition to Tim and Ruby, the delegation included three college and university presidents:
- Wim Wiewel, President of Lewis and Clark College;
- Mark Mitsui, President of Portland Community College; and
- Jill Tiefenthaler, President of Colorado College
The following are Tim's and Ruby's highlighted takeaways from COP25.
The level of detail during the first week of negotiations was incredible. One of the sessions focused on methodologies of reporting national greenhouse gas inventories. The session got into the weeds - such as how should common reporting tables be formatted, and so on. You can see one of the supporting documents here. It was reassuring to see countries working through the same logistics that we sometimes struggle with on the campus level. Colleges and universities in the Climate Leadership Network are definitely on the right path. For more, please see The Weeds of Progress Reporting blog post here.
The Second Nature delegation had the opportunity to meet with other global networks of universities working on climate mitigation and adaption. The U.S. higher education sector is not alone in addressing climate change. Fore more, please see the It Takes Everyone blog post here.
Second Nature also met with a member of the University Global Compact, a group of universities advancing the Sustainable Development Goals through their education, research, and service missions. It's encouraging to see initiatives like these growing. We can learn how universities in other parts of the world are contributing to climate solutions, and also share our experience managing networks of leading higher education institutions in North America.
Article 6 was the main unresolved section of the Paris Agreement going into COP25. Unfortunately, after two weeks of negotiations it appears that most of it remains unresolved. For an overview of Article 6, this WRI article provides a good overview. During the first week we attended several negotiating sessions related to Article 6. You can see some of the draft negotiating texts here. Here is a more detailed summary of the outcomes. For more, please see Article 6 blog post here.
We don’t have a “World’s Fair” anymore, but there definitely was an element of COP25 that felt like one. Each of the country pavilions demonstrated their greatest successes, their most innovative technologies, and their future climate actions that their delegates were most proud of. Additionally, each pavilion provided a space for discussion and dialogue for sharing best practices and for sharing national ideas that could flourish with international cultivation.
The three higher education presidents that were part of the Second Nature delegation, were able to lead and participate in a variety of panels at the U.S. Climate Action Center. Some of which focused exclusively on higher education, and others that were cross-sectoral.
In all cases, it was evident how distinct and globally important it is that the higher education sector plays a dual role - both as an institutional actor, and also as an enabler of action. In the United States, the Climate Leadership Network has a long history of leadership in playing this dual role, but on the international stage, it is a novel idea and concept. Coinciding with this, it was very encouraging to then hear in response from others that there was a high degree of resonance with this approach, with much to share, collaborate, and scale, based on what we share in common and what is locally relevant.
For More on Second Nature at COP25, including videos, more photos, and so on, visit our COP25 page.
Photos: by Second Nature
Second Nature in Budapest
In November, Second Nature's Director of Strategic Partnerships, Eric Howard, traveled to Budapest for the World Science Forum, a bi-annual gathering of 750+ leading scientists and government officials from around the world.
The Forum provides a venue for policy makers, practitioners, scientific societies, and academics to share their experience, build capacity, and develop approaches to the use of scientific evidence in informing policy and action in business, academia, and government.
Eric's purpose in attending the Forum, was so that Second Nature could gain a greater understanding of the needs of campus leaders working in Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world.
Among those he met were Dr. France A. Córdova (pictured right), who is the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the former President of Purdue University.
Photo: by Second Nature
Photo: by Second Nature
The Forum is organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, other scientific societies.
Global Congress for Climate Change & Sustainability Professionals
Martin Powell (pictured left), Chief Sustainability Officer at Siemens, spoke with campus leaders last week at a program organized by Second Nature and held in Chicago at the Global Congress for Climate Change & Sustainability Professionals. The focus of the conversation was on urban issues and advanced building technologies for energy efficiency and carbon reduction.
Martin Powell's work includes overseeing carbon reduction programs at their 300+ corporate campuses and offices across North America, working toward an institutional goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. Previously he was Global Head of the Urban Development Practice.
Bonus Bulletin
Urging PA to Accelerate a Low-Carbon Future
On November 21st, Second Nature and Ceres jointly issued a press release urging state elected officials in Pennsylvania, to make policies that would accelerate a low-carbon economy, a priority.
The press release was in-conjunction with a letter that businesses and higher education institutions had signed and sent to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, to that fact.
The press release included quotes from both institutions and businesses.
Photo: Licensed from Adobe Stock
“We know that there is urgency to accelerate climate solutions and that higher education has some of the longest-standing commitments to take action. The Higher Education Sustainability Act helps institutions expand their pursuit of possible solutions to society’s grand challenges.” - Tim Carter, President, Second Nature
Photo: Licensed from Adobe Stock
Reporting Period is Fast Approaching
The 2020 reporting period for signatories of the Climate Leadership Network is coming up January 1st through May 1st, 2020.
In addition to the Annual Progress Evaluation (GHG), signatories are asked to review and revise if necessary their Climate Action Plans (CAP) every 5 years. Signatories may amend their existing Plan, or choose to submit a new Climate Action Plan.
If you need a new draft Climate Action Plan form, or if you need additional draft APE added to your dashboard, please contact us at reporting@secondnature.org. Or if you would like to schedule a call with us to discuss reporting, you can do so here.
Impact Report: It's Here!
We are excited to let you know that our 2018-2019 Impact Report is now available!
It has been a busy time here at Second Nature, as we drastically ratcheted up our climate action this year, with the goal of reaching 50% decarbonization in the United States by 2030, on our minds.
We will continue accelerating that work in 2020.
Photo: Licensed From Adobe Stock
“Pennsylvania has an opportunity to model for the nation the benefits of a green economy, and that requires great acts of leadership by our General Assembly. . .(more)" - President Margee M. Ensign, Dickinson College
Statement on the Higher Education Sustainability Act
On November 25th, Second Nature released a statement of support for the Higher Education Sustainability Act (S.2928), which was introduced by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and co-sponsored (thus far), by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
Not only does S.2928 call for the expansion of sustainability initiatives on college and university campuses, but it also reauthorizes the University Sustainability Program (USP).
Photo: by Second Nature
2020 Higher Education Climate Summit
As you are reading this, there are less than 70 days left to register for the 2020 Higher Education Climate Summit taking place February 23rd-25th, 2020, in Atlanta, GA.
By attending the Summit, you will be joining your higher education leadership peers to discuss and create solutions for facing the climate emergency.
Once you are done registering for the Summit, be sure to check the website often, as new speakers, workshops, and other such opportunities for attendees, are being added continuously.
Photo: Second Nature Impact Report
Relevant Resources
Signatories will continue to receive a 40% discount for Tier 1 or Tier 2 subscriptions.
Photo: Licensed by Adobe Stock
Discount SIMAP Subscription
To support your reporting, we're excited to again partner with the University of New Hampshire to provide Climate Leadership Network signatories with a discount on a Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform (SIMAP™) subscription.
You can learn more about the partnership and how to sign-up for SIMAP™, here.
Stay tuned for SIMAP™ updates being released in February 2020, including Tier 2 Multi Campus functionality, updated emission factors, and detailed reference information.
Sustainability Data Management Assistance
Are you a college or university looking for new ways and tools to be able to better manage your evolving sustainability data?
EPA Energy Star and RE Tech Advisors recently came out with a guide called Step Away from The Spreadsheet: A Guide to Sustainability Data Management Tools in Higher Education, that may be a helpful resource.
You can find the guide here.
Rapid Recognitions
*NEW* Climate Leadership Network Signatories!
Welcome!
On November 8th, Virginia Wesleyan University and The Gunn Group, co-hosted a conference on VWU's campus, focused on educating students about climate change, and what they can do about it.
Over the past several months, New Mexico State University has been hosting a New Mexico State University Climate Change Education Seminar Series (NMSUCCESS),
The conference, Generations United to Address Climate Change, brought climate change experts on both the national and local levels, and the students together to focus on the issue.
At the beginning of December, Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz, announced the creation of a President's Task Force on Campus Sustainability. The Task Force will work on adding more aggressive climate action goals to the University's 2016 Climate Action Plan.
focused on the causes and effects of climate change. The series is free and open to the public, and will run through April 2020.
Bemidji State University was ranked as one of the top environmentally responsible colleges by The Princeton Review, in their Guide to Green Colleges: 2019 Edition.
The University previously signed The Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments Carbon Commitment, and with the updates to their Climate Action Plan, they hope to also be able to sign the Climate Commitment.
Bemidji State University also received this honor from The Princeton Review in 2011, 2012, 2017, and in 2018.
Monthly Merit
The SDG Accord - Declaring a Climate Emergency
The SDG Accord, is a global coalition of higher and further education institutions and networks, who have committed and signed onto the mission of the Accord. The two-fold purpose of the Accord as written:
"First it is to inspire, celebrate and advance the critical role that education has in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the value it brings to governments, business and wider society.
Secondly, the Accord is a commitment learning institutions are making to one another to do more to deliver the goals, to annually report on each signatory's progress, and to do so in ways which share the learning with each other both nationally and internationally. An objective is that sector SDG reporting metrics will be presented at the annual UN High Level Political Forum."
The Accord was drafted by students, operational managers, academics, and administrators. The Accord has over 400 institutions and networks who have signed onto it.
At COP25, higher and further education institutions and networks who were in attendance declared a climate emergency coinciding with The SDG Accord.
Photos: by Second Nature
Oncoming Opportunities
Best of the Betters: The Better Plants 2019 Better Project and Better Practice Presentations
January 7: 3:00 – 4:00 PM EDT
The Better Practice and Better Project Awards were created to recognize outstanding accomplishments in industrial energy efficiency at both the organizational and facility level. Award recipients range from diverse manufacturing sectors to water and wastewater utilities. Join this webinar to hear from some of our exceptional 2019 applicants and awardees about their innovative, industry-leading energy management work.
Moderator: Eli Levine, U.S. Department of Energy
Presenters: Bruce Bartel, NEW Water; Mark Minter, Agropur; Blair Sturm, Saint-Gobain
Register here.
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Announcing the 2019-2020 Better Buildings Webinar Series
The Better Buildings Webinar Series occurs monthly and provides information on a range of topics, as well as access to experts and peers in the varying fields of energy efficiency. Sessions are open for registration through April 2020.
View the complete schedule here.
Don't forget, there are now less than 70 days left to register for the 2020 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit. You don't want to miss out!
Register here.
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