The Implementer

December 2022

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

The Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit is the premier gathering for higher education leaders committed to addressing inequality and the climate crisis. This year we will be discussing and launching our new strategic pathways - an approach to climate action that recognizes the diversity of institution types and roles within the higher education sector as a key strength that can be better mobilized to help us meet our climate goals. We would love for you to help us shape this new direction with us!

Pro Bono Round III Accepting Proposals

Second Nature partners Brailsford & Dunlavey and Coho Climate Advisors (formerly CustomerFirst Renewables) are offering round III of ​​​​​​ Pro Bono Consulting. Through this service, 16 campuses have received technical and advisory support to help with climate action planning and procurement of renewable power.  

Application Timeline: 

• November 22, 2022: Round III Launched
• December 1, 2022: Lunch & Learn Webinar (Recording)
• January 6, 2023: Application Deadline
• January 9, 2023: Application Review Begins
• February 6, 2023: Awarded Institutions Announced at Climate Leadership Summit

Steps & Guidance for Applying:

1. Visit the Pro Bono Initiative webpage to find all the information needed to apply, including FAQs and application guidance and questions. 
2. Watch the informational Lunch & Learn Webinar from December 1st to learn more about this opportunity. 
3. Once you are ready to apply, complete the online application(s).  

• Apply for Climate Action Planning Consulting Services
• Apply for Shifting to Renewable Power and/or Water Resiliency Strategies Consulting Services

Email Questions to Steve Muzzy smuzzy@secondnature.org 

Community Conversation Series

Geothermal & Heat Pumps
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 | 1-2pm ET

Registration Link

Higher Ed and Climate Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act

Released last month and developed in partnership with The Aspen Institute's This Is Planet Ed and MIT's Office of Sustainability, this new Second Nature resource overviews the primary ways the Inflation Reduction Act supports the decarbonization and climate work of the higher education sector. Higher education institutions can benefit from the IRA in a plethora of ways, including: 

• Tax credits for clean energy
• Tax credits for clean transportation
• Tax deductions for energy efficiency
• Financing for greenhouse gas reduction
• Grants for climate work in communities
• Grants for climate research
• Funding for workforce development

The new SIMAP public reporting module, developed in partnership between UNH and Second Nature, continues to capture reports. The 2023 reporting period will begin January 1, 2023

Please use the following link to schedule a tour of the new public reporting process. 

Checkout the latest reports from:

Meredith Leigh, Carbon Offset Fellow

Meredith is the Carbon Offsets Fellow at Second Nature. In this role, she will provide guidance for the role that carbon offsets play in campus climate action plans, and support and expand C2P2 and the Offset Network. Meredith has worked in sustainability for over 20 years, with a specialty in land management. Outside of her work with Second Nature, she is a freelance writer and consultant supporting communities and businesses across the supply chain to empower climate-smart, resilient food systems. She is the co-owner of The Fermentation School, an online education platform for learning culinary fermentation skills. She is also a co-founder of Carbon Harvest, a company developing regional-scale carbon offset platforms focused on agroforestry.

Windley Knowlton, Climate Programs Intern

Windley is thrilled to join the Second Nature Team as a Climate Programs Intern directly following her graduation from Oberlin College in December 2022. As an Environmental Studies major, she focused her studies in renewable energy systems and climate migration. In undergrad, she interned at a national solar distribution company, served as a research intern for the Environmental Justice Committee at the Environmental Defense Fund, researched local sustainable investment opportunities in Oberlin as an Entrepreneurship Fellow, and taught tap dance to toddlers. Under the mentorship of Dr. Md Rumi Shammin, she served on a team analyzing audits of environmental conditions at Kutupalong Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Last summer as a Doris Baron Fellow, she traveled to Belgium, France and the Netherlands to study the recycling process of photovoltaic waste. Outside of the office, you can catch her tearing it up at dance class, hiking Mt. Monadnock, skiing, and, once again, teaching tap dance to toddlers.