George Washington University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

GW is located in the District of Columbia and engages in policy processes at this level. The university has integrated sustainability practices into its operations, business decisions, and values. As such, the university engages in local and national policy development processes to encourage alignment with the university's needs.

GW is located in the District of Columbia and engages in policy processes at this level. The university has integrated sustainability practices into its operations, business decisions, and values. As such, the university engages in local and national policy development processes to encourage alignment with the university's needs. GW staff, faculty, and students serve on advisory committees, submit letters to legislators, and directly engage. Examples include legislation to promote use of renewable energy through the Renewable Portfolio Standard mechanism, consent decree at the local and national level to promote use of low impact development to address destructive stormwater runoff issues in the Potomac, Anacostia, and Rock Creek watersheds, greenhouse gas emissions goals and standards, as well as green building standards.

GW is located in the District of Columbia and engages in policy processes at this level. The university has integrated sustainability practices into its operations, business decisions, and values. As such, the university engages in local and national policy development processes to encourage alignment with the university's needs. GW staff, faculty, and students serve on advisory committees, submit letters to legislators, and directly engage. Examples include legislation to promote use of renewable energy through the Renewable Portfolio Standard mechanism, consent decree at the local and national level to promote use of low impact development to address destructive stormwater runoff issues in the Potomac, Anacostia, and Rock Creek watersheds, greenhouse gas emissions goals and standards, as well as green building standards.

GW is located in the District of Columbia and engages in policy processes at this local and national level in Washington. The university has integrated sustainability practices into its operations, business decisions, and values. As such, the university engages in local and national policy development processes to encourage alignment with the university's needs. At the international level, GW has joined the We Are Still In movement to support climate change action at the international level. In June 2017 George Washington President Steven Knapp joined hundreds of higher education presidents, governors, mayors, businesses and investors in signing a letter saying that they intend to support climate actions to support the 2015 Paris Agreement. The open letter was titled “We Are Still In.” The effort by Boston-based nonprofit Second Nature began after President Donald Trump announced that he planned to pull the United States out of the Paris agreement. World leaders signed the landmark agreement in December 2015. The document allowed each country to develop its own strategies to reduce emissions. The signatories joined a coalition led by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, which according to the New York Times, is in talks with the United Nations on how they can enter the Paris agreement.

In January 2017 George Washington President Steven Knapp and more than 170 presidents and chancellors from colleges and universities, including those in 35 U.S. states, joined together to urge President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming Congress to accelerate progress toward a clean energy future. In the open letter, organized by a diverse group of higher education institutions and the Boston-based nonprofit Second Nature, Dr. Knapp and the other higher education leaders call on elected officials to support participation in the Paris Agreement, climate research and investment in the low carbon economy.