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SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
INSTITUTE Failure in Madrid; European Green Deal Adopted CCC Board of Governors Adopt Climate Change and Sustainability Goals Doomsday Clock Set at 100 Seconds to Midnight SEI Proposes Network of Weather/Air Quality Stations Air Pollution Worsening in Los Angeles Region New Climate Corps Fellow at City College In the Classroom: Resources from Carleton College UC Certificate for Citizen Scientists News Briefs |
CCC Board of Governors Endorse Climate Change Goals
The California Community College Board of Governors passed a climate change and sustainability resolution last May, with recommended goals for the entire community college system. It was intended to bring the system in line with existing state mandates (specifically, the California Global Warming Solutions Act from 2006 and subsequent scoping plans). The BOG resolution addresses seven areas and sets goals in each. They cover a wide range of climate change drivers, including greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, renewable energy, zero net energy buildings, and sustainable procurement. It calls for emissions to be reduced 30% below 1990 levels by 2025 and 40% by 2030 and for renewable energy consumption to increase to 25% of the total by 2025 and then to 50% by 2030. In general, the goals are relatively modest, given the scale of the climate emergency. With the passing of the resolution, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) has established a statewide sustainability steering committee, primarily comprised of facilities, sustainability, and energy professionals from districts around the state. Its kickoff summit this month in Sacramento will focus on determining a pathway to meet the resolution’s goals. The committee may also consider including additional stakeholders, such as faculty and student representatives, as their work becomes more defined. LACCD will be represented at the steering committee by Aris Hovasapian, its Utility Program Manager. While the BOG goals are intended to be systemwide, individual districts can choose to pass resolutions that have more aggressive goals or address additional areas of concern. To that end, LACCD staff have already begun the process of drafting a sustainability related resolution for consideration by the Board of Trustees. Given the district’s long history of support for renewable energy and sustainable practices, dating back to the early days of its bond construction project, it’s hoped that it will come up with a more ambitious plan than the Board of Governors. |
