August 15, 2007—America’s colleges entered the fight against global warming this summer after more than 280 college and university presidents pledged to neutralize campus greenhouse gas emissions.
The presidents of 284 higher-education institutions signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment at a leadership summit in Washington that was organized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and environmental advocacy groups, ecoAmerica and Second Nature.
AASHE is a membership-based association of colleges and universities that advocates for sustainability in higher education in the United States and Canada . In addition to neutralizing the greenhouse gas emissions of higher education institutions, the climate commitment seeks to accelerate the research and educational efforts to help society address global warming and restabilize the global climate patterns.
The group plans to expand the climate commitment campaign and aims to persuade at least 1,000 higher- education institutions to enter the fight against global warming by joining the climate neutral initiative by 2009, officials say.
Presidents from some of the most prestigious universities in the US, including Cornell University in New York and the 10 campuses forming the University of California, have already signed the climate commitment.
Launched in June, the commitment calls for the colleges and universities to develop a comprehensive plan oriented to climate neutrality. Signatory schools are required to complete a full inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions within one year.
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