Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.65
Liaison Michelle Seppala Gibbs
Submission Date March 6, 2020

STARS v2.2

Hope College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.67 / 2.00 Michelle Gibbs
Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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:

Hope College works with area partners on free educational events related to sustainability as a way to engage the public in policy changes. An example of an event includes: https://blogs.hope.edu/sustainability-institute/smart-energy/3185/

The college has also had an active role in engaging and encouraging the City of Holland and the Holland Board of Public to continue to move forward with the goals of the Community Energy Plan and setting news goals to meet the increasing urgency of Climate Change. This includes planning meetings as well as attending/speaking at public Council Meetings.

On Wednesday, February 19, 2020 a group from Hope College took turns speaking during a City Council Meeting to encourage Council to revisit and update the Community Energy Plan. Those that spoke were one student, two faculty members, a Dean, and a third faculty member read a letter from the President as he was not able to attend in person. Another three student/staff/faculty members attended in support.

Hope is a partner in the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute (HHCSI) with the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. The HHCSI grew out of an Education and Outreach Task Force, one of seven citizen-led task forces launched in conjunction with the CEP. The purpose of the HHCSI is to support growing efforts to encourage, engage, educate, and drive sustainable culture in water and air quality, energy efficiency, land use, and environmental innovation using a Sustainability Framework evaluation process and other best practices.
Goals:
Become a New Environmental Policy Innovator
Become a Clearinghouse for Sustainability Policy
Become a Research Center for Sustainability New Best Practices
Make a Difference — Replicate and Grow Sustainability Success in the Region


Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
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Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
No

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

At the meeting listed up above in the local section (https://blogs.hope.edu/sustainability-institute/smart-energy/3185/) one of the speakers was from Citizens Climate Lobby.
https://citizensclimatelobby.org/about-ccl/


Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
No

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
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A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):

Hope College is among the institutions that have signed the international Talloires Declaration, a 10-point plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations, and outreach at colleges and universities.


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

n/a


Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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