| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.22 |
| Liaison | Lacey Raak |
| Submission Date | Feb. 10, 2022 |
California State University, Monterey Bay
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.33 / 2.00 |
Nicole
Hollingsworth Director of Governmental and External Relations Office of the President |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
CSUMB staff advocates for sustainability on the Transportation Agency for Monterey County and has advocated for scooter share programs to be implemented in neighboring jurisdictions (Seaside and Marina).
CSUMB staff engages in discussions regarding the local water supply through Marina Coast Water District and the Monterey Peninsula Water District, including a local initiative to utilized reclaim water
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:
The CSU does engage in advocacy at the state level through our Advocacy and State Relations (ASR) team, and some of these efforts are for sustainability-related legislation.
This past year (2021) the CSU Board of Trustees voted to divest (CSU wide) in fossil fuel initiatives for the entire CSU portfolio. This effort was widely supported by students through meetings with legislators, letter writing, etc.
The CSU has also supported remote work programs for the first time, which will have a profound impact on fossil fuel reduction system-wide.
Past three years:
In terms of state advocacy, the best example I can think of is our advocacy efforts on securing environmental research funding in the cap and trade funds that became available in CA this summer. We wrote letters, met with legislative staff, and testified at budget subcommittee hearings in order to express our support for strong research funding for projects related to climate change. Please note – we also used this opportunity to ensure that CSU would have a chance to apply for the research funds (and that they wouldn’t all go to UC) - but in that process we urged a strong action for research funds. The final outcome was $11 million “to be used to fund research on reducing carbon emissions, including clean energy, adaptation, and resiliency, with an emphasis on California.” This language was included in Section 2 of AB 109 of 2017.
Every year, the CSU tracks each bill before the state assembly or senate, and chooses to take an official position on most legislation that would affect the CSU. The ASR team refers any pending bills that are deemed to likely affect the CSU’s operation to the appropriate department at the Chancellor’s Office to review and recommend a position. Any sustainability-related legislation that would directly affect us is referred to the Energy & Sustainability Unit (along with any other relevant departments), and we provide an analysis and recommendation that ASR uses to determine the CSU’s official position on the bill. The level of advocacy involved will be different for each bill, and can range from an official statement of support or opposition to meetings with legislators to testifying in subcommittee hearings as described above.
ASR staff couldn’t think of any other sustainability-related legislation they’d supported, though I think this is really because they aren’t very familiar with what would qualify under STARS criteria. I know, for instance, that we did officially support the student transit pass bill (AB 17, previously AB 2222) that passed last year (though it was vetoed). I would suggest that if you want to provide other examples of sustainability-related bills we have officially supported, you check ASR’s site that lists our official position on all state-level legislation: https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/government/Advocacy-and-State-Relations
Environmental Stewardship is also called out as a key legislative priority on ASR’s website: https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/government/Advocacy-and-State-Relations/Pages/other-legislative-issues.aspx.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
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:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
1. Advocacy and State Relations (ASR) led by Chancellor's Office - Erik Bakke (Interim)
2. Administrative law agencies like Utilities Commission, Energy Commission, Air Resources Board, Strategic Growth Council, Office of Planning and Research, Cal-Fire, etc. – Led by CO subject matter experts
3. Local Administrative law agencies like local Air Pollution Control District (APCD) or Sanitary/Waste districts – led by CO or regional campus leaders
4. Surrounding cities & counties (Climate Action and/or Resilience Plans, General Plan updates, CEQA, etc.) led by campus Executives and staff.
1. Advocacy and State Relations (ASR) led by Chancellor's Office - Erik Bakke (Interim)
2. Administrative law agencies like Utilities Commission, Energy Commission, Air Resources Board, Strategic Growth Council, Office of Planning and Research, Cal-Fire, etc. – Led by CO subject matter experts
3. Local Administrative law agencies like local Air Pollution Control District (APCD) or Sanitary/Waste districts – led by CO or regional campus leaders
4. Surrounding cities & counties (Climate Action and/or Resilience Plans, General Plan updates, CEQA, etc.) led by campus Executives and staff.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.