Conference: Catalyzing University Climate Action Workshop

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Climate change is one of the main and urgent challenges of our time. Universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning are embedded in the national fabric and widely distributed across the country. This two-day conference will bring senior officials from a diverse set of climate-engaged colleges and universities from across the country together with selected representatives of federal agencies and stakeholder organizations to explore mechanisms for leveraging the collective contributions of higher education for addressing the climate crisis. Goals of the meeting will be to share best practices; improve climate-related communication among institutions and the government; and facilitate intentional, coordinated, and collective actions of institutions of higher education as well as those between higher education and the government. Questions addressed will include: How would a formal network that connects campus climate action leaders to each other and to federal efforts strengthen the work being undertaken on individual campuses? How could a network of institutions of higher education stimulate additional responses to the climate challenge both inside academia and in the geographic regions in which these institutions reside? What are the best ways to create, structure, support, and maintain such a network of institutions? And finally, how will the network interact with existing networks? Broader impacts of the work are strengthening the ties, information exchange, and potential sharing of resources between institutions of higher learning, from community colleges to research intensive institutions on the topic of climate change and addressing the challenges it poses to the Nation. The interaction will help make climate-focused efforts at institutions of higher education more coordinated, effective, equitable, and more relevant to campuses, communities, and to decision makers across the US. An additional impact is lowering barriers to climate action and identifying where university actors can bridge gaps in federal and state programs that address climate change and its challenges. The conference: The Catalyzing University Climate Action Workshop will be a two-day meeting held in Washington DC. It involves discussion and planning among approximately 100 attendees, most of whom will be representatives from institutions of higher education. Attendees will also include representatives from federal agencies who interact with academic institutions on climate-related issues. The meeting will concentrate on four themes to organize discussions of the diverse activities that take place on campuses across the country. They are: (1) Campus sustainability efforts towards reduced emissions and other activities aimed at increasing sustainability; (2) Climate education—both formal and informal education—as well as workforce development; (3) Public climate services that help states, municipalities, local industry, and other partners assess climate risks and evaluate adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as identify implementable actions for meeting their climate goals; and (4) Developing, demonstrating, and testing new technologies, behaviors, and strategies for climate mitigation and adaptation on campuses as well as working with researchers and innovation partners to translate new ideas and developments into commercially available solutions. The first day of the conference and its presentations will be live streamed to maximize the accessibility of all interested parties and allow communication with the conveners. The second day will have breakout groups involving those present in person. These will focus on forging a plan for developing a network of climate-active academic institutions and how it could be structured, implemented, and sustained. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.