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Campus Sustainability Commitments

Ithaca College has made a number of commitments at the institution level to ensure that our graduates are prepared with the persistence, knowledge, and innovation required to deal with today's climate and social challenges. 

Climate Action Plan

In the fall of 2009, the Board of Trustees approved the Ithaca College Climate Action Plan - a comprehensive proposal for the College to reach climate neutrality. It established our goal of 2050 and serves as a framework for organization and benchmarking tools today. The Plan calls for transparency in development and implementation and requires frequent progress reports. In 2017, a Climate Action Plan Reassessment Team was formed to evaluate progress made from 2009 to present. In 2019, the Team completed the new Energy Roadmap and proposed an expedited 2030 carbon neutrality date.

file-outline Climate Action Plan - Climate Action Plan.pdf (7.68 MB)

Second Nature Carbon Commitment 

Ithaca College has been a member of Second Nature since 2007. Colleges that sign the Commitment recognize the speed with which impacts of climate change are being experienced, and have committed their institutions to climate neutrality. 

Grand Coalition Statement On Paris Agreement 

We Are Still In. In June of 2017, Second Nature coordinated a statement on behalf of governors, mayors, CEO's, and college and university leaders declaring that the United States remains committed to climate action. Ithaca College joined 9 states, 202 cities and counties, 309 higher education institutions, and 1553 businesses and CEO's to declare the United States will continue to be a global leader in emissions reduction, and is committed to reaching the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement. 

American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment 

In 2007, then-President Peggy R. Williams signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) on behalf of Ithaca College. The ACUPCC is a joint effort between the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), ecoAmerica, Second Nature, and presidents in higher education to reduce and ultimately neutralize greenhouse gas emissions. When signing the commitment, President Williams pledged Ithaca College would initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve complete greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, create institutional structures that will help guide the development of that plan, and complete a comprehensive inventory of all GHG emissions.