Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.29
Liaison Lindsey MacDonald
Submission Date Feb. 6, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Western Washington University
PAE-5: Climate Action Plan

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

Does the institution have a plan to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions that meets the criteria for this credit?:
Yes

A brief summary of the climate plan’s long-term goals:

The following information has been taken directly from the WWU 2010 Climate Action Plan:

The university should make a long-term commitment to climate neutrality, defined as net zero emissions and impact on the Earth’s climate achieved by minimizing GHG emissions as much as possible, and using University sponsored carbon reduction projects or other measures to mitigate the remaining GHG emissions. This long-range target for the year 2050 will allow for the motivation and planning needed to make the significant emissions reduction needed over the next 40 years. The financial feasibility of this goal is not calculable, given that the technology and implementation planning will all change in scope. We will need to identify additional energy efficiency and conservation projects as new opportunities emerge.


A brief summary of the climate plan’s short-term goals:

The following information has been taken directly from the WWU 2010 Climate Action Plan:

Through a combination of infrastructure improvements, behavior change, and University-sponsored carbon reduction projects, it is possible for Western Washington University to reduce net carbon emissions to 36 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. This level of reductions in emissions would exceed new State requirements to stop or slow Global Climate Change. It would also place Western Washington University at the top of institutions of higher education that are taking responsibility for their carbon footprints, perhaps even priming Western Washington University to be first in the State of Washington to reach climate neutrality. The projects evaluated in our research are by no means exhaustive. There are many other opportunities for energy conservation at Western Washington University. The university should continue developing energy efficiency and energy conservation projects, since these types of projects tend to be very cost-effective. They can also be used to leverage the energy and creativity of our campus community of students, faculty and staff to come up with new ideas and collaborative, real-world solutions as yet unidentified.

Western is committed to GHG emissions inventory on a cyclical basis. Aggregate GHG emission targets should be included in long-term campus planning documents such as the Campus Sustainability Report, the Strategic Action Plan, or the Institutional Master Plan to ensure successful achievement in and adherence to climate neutrality. Additionally, aggregate GHG emissions can be used as metrics for broader environmental performance assessments that would be relevant to university stakeholders.


Year the climate plan was formally adopted or approved:
2,010

An indication of whether institution has made a commitment to reduce GHG emissions a specific amount by a target year:
Yes

List which emissions (scope 1, 2, and/or 3) are included in its GHG emissions commitment:
1,2, and 3

The reduction level (percentage) institution has committed to:
36

The baseline year the institution used in its GHG emissions commitment:
Jan. 1, 2005

The baseline emissions level institution used in its GHG emissions commitment:
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The target year the institution specified in its GHG emissions commitment :
Jan. 1, 2050

The website URL where information about the climate plan is available:
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.