George Washington University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

GW is located in the District of Columbia, which is neither a city nor a state, and over which the United States Congress has exclusive jurisdiction. As such, responses to EN-14 apply to multiple levels (municipal/local, state, federal), as indicuated by our responses.

GW engages in local policy development processes to encourage alignment of District of Columbia and Federal legislation with the university's sustainability priorities. GW staff, faculty, and students serve on advisory committees, submit letters to legislators, and directly engage on the development of legislation. Examples include direct input to the writing of legislation to promote renewable energy and builidng energy efficiency through the Clean Energy Omnibus Bill, the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and the Building Energy Performance Standard. Additional examples, include input to regulatory incentives from the District for clean tranportation options, and support of a consent decree at the local level under Federal Jurisdiction to promote use of low impact development to address destructive stormwater runoff issues in the Potomac, Anacostia, and Rock Creek watersheds.

Additionally, GW President Thomas LeBlanc joined Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other college and university Presidents in the District of Columbia to commit to sustainability across various metrics and criteria, referred to as the DC College and University Sustainability Pledge.

GW is located in the District of Columbia, which is neither a city nor a state, and over which the United States Congress has exclusive jurisdiction. As such, responses to EN-14 apply to multiple levels (municipal/local, state, federal), as indicated by our responses.

GW engages in local policy development processes to encourage alignment of District of Columbia and Federal legislation with the university's sustainability priorities. GW staff, faculty, and students serve on advisory committees, submit letters to legislators, and directly engage on the development of legislation. Examples include direct input to the writing of legislation to promote renewable energy and builidng energy efficiency through the Clean Energy Omnibus Bill, the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and the Building Energy Performance Standard. Additional examples, include input to regulatory incentives from the District for clean tranportation options, and support of a consent decree at the local level under Federal Jurisdiction to promote use of low impact development to address destructive stormwater runoff issues in the Potomac, Anacostia, and Rock Creek watersheds.

Additionally, GW President Thomas LeBlanc joined Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other college and university Presidents in the District of Columbia to commit to sustainability across various metrics and criteria, referred to as the DC College and University Sustainability Pledge.

GW is located in the District of Columbia, which is neither a city nor a state, and over which the United States Congress has exclusive jurisdiction. As such, responses to EN-14 apply to multiple levels (municipal/local, state, federal), as indicated by our responses.

GW engages in local policy development processes to encourage alignment of District of Columbia and Federal legislation with the university's sustainability priorities. GW staff, faculty, and students serve on advisory committees, submit letters to legislators, and directly engage on the development of legislation. Examples include support of a consent decree at the local level under Federal Jurisdiction to promote use of low impact development to address destructive stormwater runoff issues in the Potomac, Anacostia, and Rock Creek watersheds. Also, in January 2017 George Washington President 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, GW's then President, 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.

At the international level, GW has joined the We Are Still In movement to commit to climate change action at the international level in support of 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 at a global level.