| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 77.56 |
| Liaison | John Pumilio |
| Submission Date | Oct. 11, 2022 |
Colgate University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.33 / 2.00 |
John
Pumilio Director of Sustainability Sustainability Office |
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:
The Hamilton Climate Preparedness Working Group (HCPWG) guides policies at the local municipal level. This group meets once a month with representatives from Colgate and the Hamilton Business Alliance. Members of this committee also include the mayor of the Village of Hamilton and members of the Hamilton Town Council. Its goal is to create a sustainable community. HCPWG is active members of NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities program and NYS DEC's Climate Smart Communities program. The work of the HCPWG has led to zoning law updates to support residential solar and wind, streamlining the solar permitting process, and initiating a Clean Smart Hamilton campaign that streamlines the process for installing air-sourced and ground-sourced heatpumps.
Additionally, Colgate's director of sustainability is a member of the Town of Hamilton Zoning Update Committee and on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
In 2019, the director of sustainability testified at a NYS hearing advocating for New York State's Climate Leadership and Communities Protection Act (CLCPA) which became NYS law in 2020.
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:
Colgate is a member of the New York Coalition for Sustainability in Higher Education. NYCSHE unites representatives of higher education to promote and support environmental responsibility in higher education and beyond.
NYCSHE's organizational goals relating to policy in NYS and beyond include:
To bring together members from higher education who share interest, knowledge, and expertise and those that are in strategic positions that impact our sustainability policies, practices, and physical development.
To be a conduit for information about policies, practices and ideas, primarily to make them more affordable, available, uniform, consistent, and utilized in order to support sustainability needs in New York State.
To become a voice on promoting the best interests of sustainability stakeholders within New York State.
Members of NYCSHE have participated in NYS's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) public hearings.
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:
Colgate President Brian Casey routinely advocates for and joins petitions and other opportunities to support national climate action.
One example includes signing Second Nature's open letter urging the U.S. government to climate mitigation, climate research, and investment in the low-carbon economy. He also signed the We Are Still In a letter in support of honoring the Paris Agreement.
https://www.colgate.edu/news/stories/colgate-signs-open-letter-incoming-us-administration-climate-action
The Colgate community also galvanized (organized by Colgate's Students for Environmental Action) on campus during the national/international climate strike. The strike and campus protest attracted several hundred students, faculty, and staff including President Brian Casey to speak up and show support for U.S. and campus climate action.
https://www.colgate.edu/news/stories/colgate-community-unites-during-international-climate-strike
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:
Colgate President Brian Casey signed the Second Nature open letter Casey’s support of the letter to incoming U.S. administration for climate action urging elected officials to support participation in the Paris Agreement, climate research, and investment in the low-carbon economy. He also signed the We Are Still In letter in support of honoring the Paris Agreement.
https://www.colgate.edu/news/stories/colgate-signs-open-letter-incoming-us-administration-climate-action
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:
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.