Legislation & Resolutions
Associated Students | San Diego State University

A Resolution in Support of Signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

Author: Green Love Sustainability Advisory Board

WHEREAS, the Associated Students (AS) of San Diego State University (SDSU) is the single recognized voice of the approximately 30,000 students at San Diego State University; and 

WHEREAS, the Associated Students of SDSU values efforts by and on behalf of students that promote professional development, campus community, communication, advocacy, shared governance, service, diversity, and sustainability; and

WHEREAS, the Associated Students of SDSU recognizes the fundamental principles that govern our way of life and seeks to ensure a sustainable society and environment by addressing the deficiencies of our systems through the creation and implementation of innovative technologies and practices, enhancing the social, cultural and recreational programs our organization offers to students, faculty, staff and the community at large; and

WHEREAS, the Associated Students has institutionalized sustainability through the creation of the Green Love Sustainability Advisory Board (Green Love Board); and

WHEREAS, the chartered purpose of the Green Love Board is to advise the AS Council regarding AS sustainability initiatives, programs and services designed to promote broad awareness of sustainability issues to SDSU students; and

WHEREAS, the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (Presidents’ Climate Commitment) is a high-visibility effort to make campuses more sustainable and address climate change by garnering institutional commitments to reduce and ultimately neutralize greenhouse gas emissions on campus1; and

WHEREAS, the Presidents’ Climate Commitment provides the framework for participating institutions to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible; and

WHEREAS, within two months of signing the document, an institutional structure will be created to guide the development and implementation of the plan; and

WHEREAS, within one year of signing the document, a comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, collected by the established institutional structure will be taken and updated every other year thereafter; and

WHEREAS, within two years of signing the document, an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral will be developed; including a target date for achieving climate neutrality, interim target goals and actions that will lead to climate neutrality, actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the University curriculum and other educational experiences for all students, actions to expand research or other efforts necessary to achieve climate neutrality, and mechanisms for tracking progress on goals and actions; and

WHEREAS, the integration of sustainability into the University’s curriculum will provide students with the knowledge and skills to face the social, economic, and environmental challenges of this century, and enable them to evolve and be innovative to develop solutions and create opportunity; and          

WHEREAS, the participating institutions are committed to taking tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed; and

WHEREAS, the action plan, inventory, and periodic progress reports are made publicly available by submitting them to the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment Reporting System; and

WHEREAS, the signatories of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment believe colleges and universities must be leaders in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates, to achieve climate neutrality2; and

WHEREAS, the California State Student Association has set a goal to implement student support programs and initiatives at the system-wide level and campus levels by promoting sustainability in the CSU System, and advocating for CSU Presidents to sign the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

WHEREAS, 670 presidents and chancellors of American Colleges & Universities have signed the Presidents’ Climate Commitment3; and

WHEREAS, all ten chancellors of the University of California are signatories of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment, and 7 presidents of The California State University are signatories of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment4; and

WHEREAS, the Associated Students has become the campus leader in sustainability and aims to assist SDSU in becoming a model university in sustainability; and

WHEREAS, the Associated Students through the approval of the Long-Term Corporate Sustainability Goals5 has committed itself to retrofit all Associated Students managed facilities to become net-energy zero by the year 2020, thus reducing a portion of SDSU’s overall greenhouse gas emissions; therefore be it

RESOLVED,  the Associated Students endorses the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment; and further be it,

RESOLVED, the Associated Students encourages the SDSU University Senate to endorse the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment; and further be it,

RESOLVED, the Associated Students encourages SDSU President Elliot Hirshman to sign the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in order to create a comprehensive University wide sustainability plan; and finally be it,

RESOLVED, that this resolution be distributed widely including, but not limited to San Diego State University President Elliot Hirshman, San Diego State University Senate, San Diego State University Senate Sustainability Committee, San Diego City Council, San Diego College Area Community Council, California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed and to the California State University System Board of Trustees.

 

References

  1. http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/about/mission-history
  2. http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/about/commitment
  3. http://www. presidentsclimatecommitment.org/signatories/list
  4. http://www. presidentsclimatecommitment.org/signatories/list
  5. https://as.sdsu.edu/greenlove/AS_Long_Term_Corporate_Sustainability_Goals.pdf