The Implementer

March 2023

Accelerate Your Climate Awareness. Knowledge. Action. | Second Nature's Monthly E-Newsletter.
 

Nine Schools Awarded Pro Bono Funding

Nine higher education institutions were awarded pro bono consulting services to aid their campus climate projects.

Through this initiative, technical and advisory support worth up to $20,000 is given to campuses at no cost to them in three areas: (1) Climate Action Planning (2) Shifting to Renewable Power, and (3) Water Resiliency Strategy.  Eligible schools - those who are Climate Leadership Network signatories and/or University Climate Change Coalition (UC3) members - could apply for support.
 

Webinar: Unlocking Energy Savings to Fund Campus Facilities Upgrades: A University of Northwestern Ohio Case Study

Thursday, April 6 | 1:00pm ET

Often the biggest barrier to upgrading to energy-efficiency equipment, improving indoor air quality, and reducing GHG emissions is budget, especially when most colleges and universities have years of deferred maintenance and are struggling to keep enrollment up. In this webinar, the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) and Metrus discuss how their energy efficiency retrofit enabled UNOH to install best-in-class equipment and energy technologies funded entirely through energy savings – and how your campus could too!

Carbon Offsets Workshop for HBCUs and MSIs

Tuesday, April 18th | 3:00pm ET

This workshop seeks to gather information and educate members of the Intersectional Climate Action Leaders Working Group and other HBCU and MSI institutions in the Climate Leadership Network on the field and economy of carbon offsets.

We want to understand which HBCUs and MSIs need support with their offsets work, as well as the implications of these institutions participating in the offsets marketplace, and how we can support or facilitate connections in these areas.

Please note: In this workshop, we will be intentionally prioritizing the feedback and engagement of HBCUs and MSIs and institutions and partners historically and systemically under-funded.

How To Get It Done Right, Not Just Get It Done? Strategically engage stakeholders along your Climate Action Planning journey to embed Implementation

Monday, May 15 | 3:30pm ET

Not sure where to start and who to include in your Climate Action Plan? Having difficulty engaging stakeholders as you write and implement your Climate Action Plan? Join us for a one-hour panel discussion and workshop hosted by Second Nature to gain insight into stakeholder-focused strategies from three universities at different points in the climate planning process.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, The University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will share how they have embedded stakeholder engagement to build trust, forge new connections on campus, and grease the wheels for implementation. Attendees will also participate in a brief, facilitated workshop to explore their challenges and opportunities to consistently engage stakeholders wherever they are on the climate planning journey.

Community Conversations are back for 2023! These monthly peer-to-peer video calls provide an opportunity for sustainability and facilities professionals at higher education institutions, municipal/county/state governments, healthcare institutions, and K-12 schools to make new connections and foster sharing of best practices.

The first 2023 conversation held on March 21st was on Campus Decarbonization.
 

The 2023 reporting period is open from January 1 - May 1, 2023. The new SIMAP public reporting module, developed in partnership between UNH and Second Nature, continues to capture reports.

Please use the following link to schedule a tour of the new public reporting process for GHG data or to ask questions about other Climate Leadership Commitment reporting. Resilience Assessments can be added to the following form and updated Climate Action Plans may be sent to reporting@secondnature.org.  

Checkout the latest reports from:

Hampshire College
Warren Wilson College
Drake University
University of Minnesota: Twin Cities 
Smith College