The Climate Action task Forces Sustainable Development Workgroup

1
The Climate Action task ForcesSustainable
DevelopmentWorkgroup

• October 20, 2008
• Bishop Center, Room 7AB

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Welcome Introductions
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Background The Presidents Climate Commitment

• Signed March 25, 2008

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President Hogan Signs Pledge for Carbon-Neutral
Campus 03/25/08
? UConn President Mike Hogan signs the American
College University Presidents Climate
Commitment as DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy and
Vice Provost Greg Anderson observe.
100 students, faculty and staff attend PCC
signing ceremony at Wilbur Cross North Reading
Room ?
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UConns Commitment

• Create structure to guide development
  implementation
• Climate Action Task Force (CATF) - established
  May 2008
• CATF Workgroups established Fall 2008
• Complete GHG inventory and update annually
• 2004, 2006 inventories completed
• 2007 inventory near completion
• Develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP) (Due by May
  2010)
• CAP Project Manager hired September 2008
• Carbon neutrality by 2050 (or sooner) w/ interim
  targets milestones
• Integrate sustainability into curriculum
  education, research and outreach
• Goal Draft CAP by August 2009.

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Institutional Structure
Workgroups
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Climate Action Task Force

• CATF Co-Chairs
• Tom Callahan, Administration Operations
  (Associate Vice President)
• Rich Miller, Office of Environmental Policy
  (Director)
• Additional Members
• Nancy Bull, College of Agriculture Natural
  Resources (Associate Dean)
• Julie Elkins, Student Affairs (Assistant to the
  VP of Student Affairs)
• Nick Frechette, Undergraduate Student
• Matt Hart, Mansfield (Town Manager)
• Lysa Teal, Office of the Chief Financial Officer
  (Director of Budget Office)
• Mike Willig, Center for Environmental Sciences
  Engineering (Director)

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2008-2009 Workgroup Charge

• Develop Mitigation Strategies for GHG emissions
  resulting from University Operations Activities
• What are the major sources of emissions? (2007
  GHG Inventory)
• How can the institution neutralize emissions from
  each source?
• Alteration/expansion of existing programs
• Implementation of new programs
• What are the anticipated costs of each strategy?

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Timeline (2008-2009)

• Fall 2008
• October 1st Meeting
• Identify major sources of emissions and
  opportunities for reductions
• Survey of existing programs and ideas
• Fine-tune proposed ideas (pros/cons, challenges)
• Areas for expansion?
• Brainstorm additional/new ideas
• Action Planning
• Assess feasibility of proposed ideas
• Guest expert invitations as needed
• Identify challenges resource needs

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Timeline (Continued)

• Spring 2009
• Continue Action Planning
• Continue to fine-tune emissions reductions
  strategies
• Begin implementation of low lying fruit
• Monitor progress of workgroup initiatives
• Write Sustainable Development section of Climate
  Action Plan based upon workgroup recommendations

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Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory
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Fine-Tuning Brainstorming Session
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Brainstorming Stations

• Land Use Planning
• Low Impact Design (LID) Features
• Green Building

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Session Recap
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Evaluation Criteria

• Potential to avoid or reduce GHG emissions
• Flexibility to achieve ongoing GHG reductions
• Cost benefit ROI and financial impact
• Potential for positive or negative social and
  environmental side-effects
• Relationship to other mitigation strategies and
  opportunity for synergies
• Potential to be scaled upward if successful
• Potential to involve students and faculty

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Review of Action Items

• Questions? Comments?

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The Climate Action task ForcesSustainable
DevelopmentWorkgroup
Thank You!

• October 20, 2008
• Bishop Center, Room 7AB