Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.53
Liaison Rachael Wein
Submission Date March 2, 2020

STARS v2.2

Smith College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.33 / 2.00 Rachael Wein
Assistant Director of Sustainability
CEEDS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Local advocacy

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

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
Smith works with city officials, area residents and the parents of students to understand the various safety needs for pedestrians and bicyclists and on specific projects to encourage the Smith community and the people of Northampton to trade in their vehicles for more sustainable alternatives when traveling around town, in addition to increasing overall safety. Encouraging bicycle use has been an important focus for Smith's collaborations with the community toward becoming more sustainable. Recently Smith College committed to sponsoring a regional bike share program station to be built adjacent to our campus.

Regional advocacy

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:
Smith is actively involved in the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and advocates for strong and necessary climate goals and action plans.

National advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
Smith College President Kathy McCartney signed on to "We Are Still In" to the Paris Climate Accord as well as a carbon pricing letter to the President.
Smith College professor Alex Barron and student Brianna designed a carbon proxy pricing model that has been shared and used broadly as a model for carbon pricing. Subsequently President Kathy McCartney became a signatory of the Higher Education Carbon Pricing Initiative. https://www.ourclimate.us/higher_ed_initiative

International advocacy

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
Smith is a member and signatory of ISCN and the Sustainable Development Network US who both interact with and influence the UN and the UN Global Compact.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
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None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.