Overall Rating	Gold
Overall Score	65.20
Liaison	Denice Koljonen
Submission Date	Feb. 17, 2022

STARS v2.2

Boston College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00	Bruce Dixon Sustainability and Energy Specialist Facilities

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Local advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:

Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:

Boston College took a previously inaccessible, under-utilized four-acre parcel of land and created a Pine Tree Preserve for enjoyment by the local community. Fr. Leahy, president of Boston College, advocated for the beautification of this parcel. The MA Water Resource Authority (MWRA) controls the access to the site and BC approached them with the idea and was willing to invest the funds necessary for the development of the Pine Tree Preserve. The area has become a welcome open space that provides pedestrian access, park benches, viewing areas, and lighting in a wooded area with scenic views of the reservoir for all members of the community to enjoy. Boston College oversees maintenance of the property in an agreement with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which controls the parcel.
https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/announcements/pine-tree-preserve-dedicated.html

Regional advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:

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National advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:

Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:

Boston College signed on to the amicus brief in support of the lawsuit filed by the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration in opposition to the new regulations on international students by ICE.
https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/announcements/statement-on-ice-regulations.html

The President of Boston College, William P. Leahy, S.J., along with other Jesuit presidents in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities prepared a joint letter condemning violence during the Electoral College certification of the 2020 presidential election.
https://www.ajcunet.edu/press-releases-blog/2021/1/7/jesuit-college-amp-university-presidents-call-for-end-to-violence

President of Boston College, William P. Leahy. S.J. wrote a letter to the BC community condemning the senseless death of George Floyd while in police custody.
https://bceagles.com/news/2020/6/2/boston-college-athletics-letter-from-bc-president-william-p-leahy-sj.aspx

International advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:

Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:

Boston College received accreditation for observer status as a Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organization to the 2021 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26). Boston College sent a multidisciplinary delegation of nine faculty and six students to COP26. The selection of Boston College to attend COP26 reflects its academic and research strengths on the issue of climate science and policy.
https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/announcements/bc-to-send-delegation-to-cop26-.html

Optional Fields

A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):

ORGANIC FOOD WASTE BAN (see below)
Example of legislative advisory from AICUM on MA DEP regs for organic waste ban. The role of the Office of Government Relations would be to conduct outreach with dining/food service on how we currently dispose of organic food waste and assess impacts to BC on current operations, how can we comply, level of difficulty etc. BC was covered under the threshold and currently complies as the draft regulations were approved.

None

A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):

---

Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:

http://www.bc.edu/offices/comaf.html

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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