2013 Climate Leadership Award Finalists Announced

2013 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards

Recognizing Innovation and Excellence in Climate Leadership at Signatory Institutions of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

Second Nature is pleased to announce the following institutions as Finalists for the 2013 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards.

Finalists were chosen from an outstanding pool of peer institutions, based on their commitment to climate and sustainability leadership and successful implementation of related programs, education, and partnerships.  The full criteria can be found here.

The Climate Leadership Awards highlight campus innovation and climate leadership to transition society to a clean, just, and sustainable future. Finalists are chosen from ACUPCC signatory institutions in good standing via a nomination process.  This year marks the fourth annual Climate Leadership Awards. Finalists will advance to be considered for a 2013 Award.

2013 Finalists for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership

• Associate Colleges
  Bellevue College, WA
  Glendale Community College, AZ
  Saint Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, MO
  University of Hawaii Kauai Community College, HI

• Baccalaureate College
  Carleton College, MN
  Hobart and William Smith Colleges, NY
  Middlebury College, VT
  Oberlin College, OH

• Master’s Granting Institutions
  American Public University System, WV
  Chatham University, PA
  Goddard College, VT
  Western State Colorado University, CO

• Doctorate Granting Institutions
  Georgia Institute of Technology, GA
  Indiana State University, IN
  Missouri University of Science & Technology, MO
  Portland State University, OR
  State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, NY

• Special Focus Institutions
  Massachusetts Maritime Academy, MA
  Pratt Institute of Art & Design, NY
  University of Massachusetts Medical School, MA

In partnership with Planet Forward, all finalists will be featured in a public voting competition during April 2013, where viewers can vote on the most innovative and ground-breaking institution in each Carnegie Classification. Campuses with the top votes at the end of April will be featured in a variety of media opportunities.

Watch 2012 Finalists videos produced by Carleton College, Pratt Institute of Art & Design, and many others, on the Planet Forward site. Glendale Community College, Goddard College, and the Georgia Institute of Technology were also Finalists in the 2012 awards competition.

For more information about the Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards: http://secondnature.org/awards/

View 2012 Climate Leadership Award Recipients
View 2012 Climate Leadership Award Finalists
View 2011 Climate Leadership Award Recipients
View 2010 Climate Leadership Award Recipients

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ACUPCC Signatories Highlighted in DOE Video Series

This past July, the US Department of Energy launched its Clean Energy in Our Community video series, which “features small communities throughout the country that are striving to become more sustainable, are investing in the green economy, and are bringing the benefits of clean energy to local residents and workers.”

All three institutions featured in the series so far (Luther College, University of Minnesota-Morris, and Allegheny College) are signatories of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Two (Luther and Allegheny) are recipients of 2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards.

You can watch the inspiring videos below or by following the links above.

Nominations for the 2013 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards, which recognize innovation and excellence in climate leadership at signatory institutions of the ACUPCC, are now being accepted.

Luther College:

University of Minnesota-Morris:

Allegheny College:

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2012 ACUPCC Climate Leadership Summit – Highlights

By Sarah Brylinsky, Program Associate, Second Nature
(This article appears in the July, 2012 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer)

Download the 2012 Climate Leadership Highlights PDF

Signatory presidents of the ACUPCC pose for a photograph during the opening reception

The 6th Annual American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Climate Leadership Summit took place June 21^st-22nd in Washington, DC at American University. 53 signatory presidents and senior staff from over 65 institutions gathered to celebrate the first five years of the ACUPCC and to respond to the summit theme of Economic Renewal: jump-starting a sustainable economy through the ACUPCC.  The attendees discussed ways for advancing peer-to-peer learning and support across the ACUPCC, and identified next steps to foster the ongoing sustainability transformation of higher education by preparing students for the 21st century economy, increasing affordability and access through cost savings, and advancing innovation through research, experimentation, and role-modeling solutions in campus operations.

Special Report: Celebrating Five Years of Climate Leadership

The ACUPCC released a special report: Celebrating Five Years of Climate Leadership | The Progress and Promise of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

A special report, Celebrating Five Years of Climate Leadership: The Progress and Promise of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, was released at the Summit, detailing successes from signatory campuses across the country and innovation in education, emissions reductions, financing, and more.

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2012 Climate Leadership Award Winners

2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards

Recognizing Innovation and Excellence in Climate Leadership at Signatory Institutions of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

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Recipients of the Third Annual Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards were recognized for their efforts during an awards ceremony at  the ACUPCC Climate Leadership Summit in Washington, DC on June 21st. This year’s Climate Leadership Awards were created, designed, and fabricated by students from Pratt Institute’s Center for Sustainable Design Studies (CSDS). The awards were created using reclaimed redwood from New York City water towers. The surface of the wood was beautifully and uniformly weathered, and each award included a distinctive waterline running through the grain of each piece, providing a unique and one of a kind finish. The students felt that the material and finished product honored the intent of the awards by illustrating the unique and innovative strategies the recipients are taking to work toward climate neutrality.

The Climate Leadership Awards were created, designed, and fabricated by students from Pratt Institute’s Center for Sustainable Design Studies

The 2012 awards featured the most competitive round of awards to date, with over 60 schools from across the network submitting nominations to be recognized for their climate leadership.

A select group of 20 finalists were chosen for their outstanding achievements to participate in a video competition in partnership with Planet Forward, the web to television initiative that asks citizens and experts to share energy, climate and sustainability innovations.

Finalists’ videos drew over 70,000 views and 14,000 votes from the public during a month long competition in April, 2012, with the top vote-getter, William-Paterson University of New Jersey, receiving over 2,800 votes.  Watch their innovative video – and all of the finalists’ entries – at planetforward.org.

The Award Winners were chosen by the Second Nature Board in May 2012, and the ten recipients represent the diversity of institutions of higher education and are located throughout the United States.

“These institutions are leading the way for the academic community by demonstrating how sustainable practices can be put into place on campus that have a long-term impact on creating a sustainable society for the benefit of all,” said Dr. Anthony D. Cortese, president of Second Nature. “They have all shown tremendous creativity and an unrelenting commitment to integrate sustainable practices into their campuses and society as a whole.”

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Top Votes for William Paterson University of New Jersey’s Innovative Video

After more than 14,000 votes were cast during the Planet Forward video competition this month (on videos created by the 2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Award Finalists), Planet Forward announced the top vote-getter this week: William Paterson University of New Jersey!

Watch the video at planetforward.org

William Paterson University was honored at the George Washington University Moving the Planet Forward Innovation Summit on Tuesday, April 17th, and will be featured in continued publicity with Planet Forward.

All 20 finalists are under consideration for a 2012 Climate Leadership Award. The winners will be chosen by the Second Nature Board, and honored at the Climate Leadership Summit at American University, June 21-22nd. Look for the announcement of this year’s Award Winners soon!

The top vote-getters for videos in each Carnegie Classification produced incredible videos  documenting their climate innovation:

• Doctorate Institution – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL
• Baccalaureate College – Allegheny College, PA
• Associate/Tribal College – Glendale Community College, AZ
• Master’s College – William Paterson University of New Jersey, NJ
• Special Focus Institution – SUNY Upstate Medical University, NY

Click here for more information about the Climate Leadership Awards, and to watch all of the Finalists’ videos, head to planetforward.org/climate-leadership-awards.

Read other blog posts about the 2012 Climate Leadership Awards.

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2012 Climate Leadership Award Finalists Announced

2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards

Recognizing Innovation and Excellence in Climate Leadership at Signatory Institutions of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

The Climate Leadership Awards highlight campus innovation and climate leadership to transition society to a clean, just, and sustainable future, and are chosen from ACUPCC signatory institutions in good standing via a nomination process.  This year marks the third annual Climate Leadership Awards, and Second Nature is proud to announce this year’s Finalists, who will advance on to be considered for a 2012 Award.

2012 Finalists for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership

• Doctorate Granting University
  Arizona State University, AZ
  Georgia Institute of Technology, GA
  New York University, NY
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL
  University of South Florida, FL

• Master’s Colleges & University
  Florida Gulf Coast University, FL
  Goddard College, VT
  University of Central Missouri, MO
  William Paterson University of New Jersey, NJ

• Baccalaureate College
  Allegheny College, PA
  Carleton College, MN
  Luther College, IA
  Spelman College, GA

• Associate/Tribal College
  Austin Community College District, TX
  Chandler – Gilbert Community College, AZ
  Glendale Community College, AZ
  Haywood Community College, NC

• Special Focus Institutions / Other 
  Pratt Institute and PALS, NY
  SUNY Upstate Medical University, NY
  University of California System,CA

Second Nature is proud to be announcing the awards winners of the 3rd Annual Climate Leadership Awards at the 6th annual Climate Leadership Summit of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) on June 21-22, 2012 in Washington, D.C.

In partnership with Planet Forward, all finalists will be featured in a public voting competition from March 15th – April 15th 2012, where viewers can vote on the most innovative and ground-breaking institution in each Carnegie Classification. Campuses with the top votes at the end of April will be featured in a variety of media opportunities. More information on the voting competition will be posted soon.

For more information: http://secondnature.org/awards/

View 2011 Climate Leadership Award Recipients
View 2010 Climate Leadership Award Recipients

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2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards

Good news! There is still time to nominate your institution
for a 2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Award –
 the application deadline has been extended to November 30th!

Application is 500 words or less -get started on your nomination today!

Download the application form here

Second Nature invites nominations for the
3rd Annual Climate Leadership Awards
to highlight campus innovation and climate leadership
to transition society to a clean, just, and sustainable future.

Second Nature is pleased to announce a partnership with Planet Forward, the web to television initiative that asks citizens and experts to share energy, climate and sustainability innovations, to highlight the leadership of the ACUPCC network. All finalists will be featured on the Planet Forward website by producing a short video highlighting the institutional leadership outlined in their nomination.

Finalists’ videos will be open to the public from March to April 2012, where viewers can vote on the most innovative and ground-breaking institution in each Carnegie Classification. Campuses with the top votes at the end of April will be featured at the Planet Forward Conference in April 2012, with one top vote-getter being featured in the Planet Forward Spring 2012 TV special. In addition, every entrant will have the opportunity to be featured in one of Planet Forward’s weekly webisodes or as a feature in the Planet Forward newsletter.

Applications are due November 30th, 2011
to acupcc@secondnature.org.

Please email us at acupcc@secondnature.org for more information or a copy of the application.

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2011 ACUPCC Climate Leadership Summary Highlights

By Steve Muzzy, Senior Associate, Second Nature
(This article appears in the July, 2011 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer)

Download the 2011 Climate Leadership Summary Highlights PDF

The 5th Annual American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Climate Leadership Summit took place June 23-24 in Washington, DC at The George Washington University. The campus venue was a great success, and signatory institutions will host all Summits in the future. Presidents, provosts, and business officers, mark your calendars: American University will host the 2012 Summit June 21-22, 2012.

Keynote Speaker

Frank Sesno delivering his keynote speech at the 2011 Summit

Frank Sesno, Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University and host and creator of Planet Forward, delivered the opening keynote address (video) – focusing on media and the power of communication. Mr. Sesno’s experience with traditional media has revealed that it is excellent at covering a crisis or an event but is failing to cover complex issues and hold attention over long periods of time. He strongly feels that climate change and the solutions to solve it are compelling, and urged the participants to tell their stories. The ACUPCC network has hundreds of stories to tell about what is happening on individual campuses, how it is strengthening relationships with local communities, and building wider regional efforts. Working to solve climate change is a story worth telling.

Climate Leadership Awards

Following Mr. Sesno, Second Nature presented the Second Annual Climate Leadership Awards, recognizing outstanding examples of ACUPCC signatories that are shifting behavior on campus and within communities to make a low-carbon economy possible. Awards were issued to the following ACUPCC signatories:

• Bunker Hill Community College, Montgomery County Community College, and Mount Wachusett Community College in the Associate College category
• Colgate University and Green Mountain College in the Baccalaureate category
• Delaware State University and Frostburg State University in the Master’s category
• The University of California, Irvine, the University of Maine, and the University of Maryland College Park in the Doctorate Granting category

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University of Maryland, College Park Recognized for Climate Leadership

The University of Maryland, College Park receives Second Nature’s 2nd Annual Climate Leadership Award. Award recipients were recognized at the 5th Annual American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Summit in Washington, DC on June 23rd, hosted by George Washington University.

After becoming a charter signatory of the ACUPCC in 2007, former University President Dan Mote convened a 55-member Climate Action Plan Work Group with broad student, faculty, and staff representation to develop the University’s plan for reaching carbon neutrality and enhancing educational and research activities. The University Senate and President approved the Climate Action Plan in 2009 and created a permanent University Sustainability Council to oversee implementation of the Plan and to advise the President (currently Wallace Loh) on sustainability issues. The Council also oversees the University Sustainability Fund, which this year provided $150,000 to nine projects that seek to reduce the environmental impact of the campus. The Council is chaired by the Vice President for Administration and has representation from all other Vice Presidents, students, faculty, and staff.

The University of Maryland has made great strides to address the mandates of the ACUPCC, including achieving significant GHG emissions reductions and integrating sustainability across the curriculum. Campus emissions decreased by 8.5% between 2005 and 2009 despite campus growth. Remarkably, emissions decreased 6.6% between 2008 and 2009 alone. The University is currently conducting its annual emissions inventory and expects a reduction of 40,352 MT-CO2e in 2010 due to the University’s purchase of 66,000 RECs, which represents a 14% reduction of the 2009 carbon footprint, this put Maryland #6 on the EPA Green Power Purchasers list. Successes in the area of emissions reductions and resource conservation inspired the new campus sustainability motto, “Terps leave small footprints.”

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University of Maine Recognized for Climate Leadership

The University of Maine receives Second Nature’s 2nd Annual Climate Leadership Award for Climate Leadership. Award recipients were recognized at the 5th Annual American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Summit in Washington, DC on June 23rd, hosted by George Washington University.

President Robert Kennedy, Vice President for Administration and Finance Janet Waldron, and Executive Director of Facilities and Planning Elaine Clark – along with faculty, staff, and students – are all active participants in the University of Maine Sustainability Alliance, which has been responsible for the development of the university’s climate action plan. The office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance also coordinated the creation of the award-winning and sustainability-focused campus master plan. UMaine’s senior administration is currently working to harmonize the implementation of these two plans and to create an overarching sustainability plan to guide university decision-making and development.

UMaine is proud of several new graduate programs that will provide its students with exceptional opportunities to become environmental leaders. These include the Sustainability MBA and an M.S. degree (and undergraduate minor) in Renewable Energy and the Environment which will take advantage of the tremendous Offshore-Wind Laboratory that will be completed later this year. The University also offers an M.A. in Global Policy, with a concentration in International Environmental Policy. UMaine is confident that these programs (along with its Student Innovation Center) will create a dynamic community of learners focused on renewable energy, sustainability, and innovation.

During 2009-2010, UMaine received nearly $50 million in external funding to support sustainability-related research. In addition to creating solutions to environmental problems in Maine (Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative), UMaine researchers are working to deepen the understanding of climate change (UMaine’s Climate Change Institute), and to develop new technologies that will catalyze significant change in the renewable energy industry (UMaine’s Offshore Wind Laboratory and Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative).

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