| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.59 |
| Liaison | Chris Bond |
| Submission Date | Oct. 30, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Unity Environmental University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Steve
Kahl Director of Sustainability Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Does the institution advocate for national, state/provincial, or local public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability?:
Yes
None
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Unity College students and employees engage in sustainability-related advocacy efforts in the classroom and through a myriad of membership organizations. The President has national visibility on the issue of climate change and divestment. The Sustainability Director is a proponent of state and national energy policies as an effective climate change mitigation strategy and has published Op Eds carbon emission and energy strategies.
Our Environmental Policy and other students are frequently engaged in policy debates on campus and at the statehouse. Recent advocacy at the state-level has supported an effort to remove toxins from food packaging in Maine (http://www.unity.edu/NewsEvents/News/UCStudents1110.aspx). Students attended an "Environmental Roundtable" event with Maine's governor where one able to emphasize “the importance of environmental protection to Maine’s economic and public health.” (http://sustainabilitymonitor.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/unity-student-addresses-governor-lepage/)
At the national level, Unity's leadership has at times supported advocacy efforts by urging legislative support for education, energy, and climate bills, including:
- funding for Section 471 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 - with 6 other college and university presidents (http://sustainabilitymonitor.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/sec471funding.pdf)
- a call to President Obama for a legislative response to climate change that would put a price on carbon -- with 40 college and university presidents (http://sustainabilitymonitor.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/carbon-cap-obama-june.pdf)
- a call to Maine's Congressional delegation to support funding for the Department of Education's University Sustainability Program in the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill of 2011 -- with 10 other Maine private college presidents (http://sustainabilitymonitor.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/3193_30330_113251.pdf)
(http://sustainabilitymonitor.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/college-presidents-support-campus-energy-and-climate-legislation/)
None
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years:
24 faculty and staff Marched in New York City in the Climate rally in 2014.
The Sustainability Director recently submitted testimony to the PUC pertaining to an anti-solar power rate request by the largest utility in Maine.
None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
Political donations are not allowed per IRS rules for 501(c)(3) organizations.
None
The website URL where information about the institution’s advocacy efforts is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Unity College leaders and faculty are a leading advocate for climate change mitigation strategies, including the highly visible action of leading the nation in divestment from fossil fuel investments.
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.