| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.43 |
| Liaison | Greg Maginn |
| Submission Date | June 30, 2023 |
The Ohio State University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Mike
Shelton Associate Director Office of Energy & Environment |
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:
Municipal/local: The Ohio State University was a key advocate for the City of Columbus’ formal adoption of its first Climate Action Plan in 2021, and has served on the City’s related advisory board since it was adopted. Proposed by Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Ohio State advocated to City Council for passage of a resolution to adopt the Climate Action Plan, which would reduce the City’s and community’s emissions by 45% by 2030 if fully implemented.
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:
State/regional: The Ohio State University has consistently advocated for funding the state’s H2Ohio program, including the initial $172 million over the 2020-2021 fiscal year biennium. This program targets water quality improvements, with a focus on reducing nutrient loading into Lake Erie by 40%, to prevent harmful algal bloom growth throughout the state’s surface waters. This included advocating for $4 million in support of a five-year pilot watershed project led by university faculty and begun in 2021 to demonstrate that agricultural conservation practices, when deployed at the appropriate scale, can help meet Lake Erie’s water quality goals.
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:
National: The Ohio State University advocates annually to Ohio’s Congressional delegation the importance of continued funding for key water related sustainability programs ranging from funding for the National Institute for Water Resources, through the Water Resources Research Act, funding for the Ohio Sea Grant program through NOAA, and funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, given the importance of past funding for understanding, characterizing, and restoring the Great Lakes ecosystem, including Ohio’s portion of the Lake Erie watershed. In addition, Ohio State has consistently lobbied Congress for support of DOE sustainable energy related programs such as ARPA-E, Basic Energy Sciences, and the Graduate Automotive Technology Education program. In addition, during the reporting period, the university advocated for DOE’s electric vehicle battery research program (EVs4ALL) and the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration for a significant funding commitment to Ohio State for the establishment and operation of a new testing center to help deploy zero-emission and low-emission public transportation buses.
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:
N/A
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.