Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.35
Liaison Suchi Daniels
Submission Date Feb. 19, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of South Florida (Tampa)
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Jason Richardson
Research Associate
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, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:

The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the scientific basis of environmental decision-making. It seeks to be a bridge that spans the divide between science, its applications, and policy.

NCSE specializes in programs that foster collaboration between the diverse institutions and individuals creating and using environmental knowledge to make science useful to policies and decisions on critical environmental issues.

We engage scientists, educators, policy-makers, environmental managers, government agencies, conservationists, and business leaders. While an advocate for science and its use, NCSE does not take positions on environmental issues. With a reputation for objectivity and non-partisanship, we are able to provide a neutral forum for all. NCSE assists communities in jointly finding acceptable solutions to complex environmental challenges by using expert facilitation, problem solving processes, and fostering joint implementation.

All sciences and technical areas relevant to decisions are recognized as important, including physical, biological, and social sciences, as well as engineering. Research, scientific synthesis and assessment, tools that support decision-making, formal and informal education, communication, are all respected and utilized.
http://eweaver.myweb.usf.edu/FoodEnergyWaterNexus.pdf


Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:

NCSE is a major supporter of STEM Education through sustainable education throughout the Nation's Community Colleges.


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, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:

Leading Decision-Makers To Convene On Advancing Climate Solutions
Two Central Topic Areas: the Built Environment and Agriculture & Natural Resources

WASHINGTON, DC (1/15/2014) - In the wake of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), over 200 leading speakers from government agencies, multinational companies, global NGOs, and international development and foundation communities will come together to discuss the challenges and solutions of climate change at the “Building Climate Solutions” conference on January 28-30, 2014 in Washington, D.C. hosted by the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE).

http://www.ncseonline.org/leading-decision-makers-convene-advancing-climate-solutions


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, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:

Participants will challenge conventional thinking on a breadth of topics focused on two key areas: [1] The Built Environment and [2] Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The conference’s 56 workshops and symposia are structured around seven primary themes: [1] Framing Climate Change Science; [2] Framing the Challenges Facing Societies; [3] Framing Solutions; [4] The Built Environment; [5] Agriculture and Natural Resources; [6] Implementing Solutions; [7] Moving from Science to Action.

NCSE welcomes members of the media to cover the conference proceedings and has reserved a limited number of complimentary registrations for qualified press.


A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):

Patel College members supported SUAC in establishing Urban Agriculture policies in St Petersburg City Ordinances.
http://www.stpete.org/development/docs/SUAC_BonSecours_Final_PS_I_Memo_6_10_13.pdf

Meeting included discussions of other industries
http://eweaver.myweb.usf.edu/SustainabilityShipping.pdf


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

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.