DANBURY, CONN. — James W. Schmotter, president of Western Connecticut State University, has joined more than 280 leaders of higher education who signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, an agreement to work toward controlling global warming.

“Managing the effects of human economic activity on our planet’s climate will be one of the greatest challenges our students will face during their lives and careers in the 21st century,” Schmotter said. “It is only appropriate that universities like WestConn demonstrate a proactive engagement with this issue. And do it today.”

Presidents and chancellors who sign the document commit their institutions to:

• Develop a plan within two years to attain climate neutrality as soon as practical. The plan would include an inventory of emissions, target dates, specific actions and tracking mechanisms.
• Complete two or more specific actions from a list of steps to reduce greenhouse gases.
• Make the plans, greenhouse gas inventory and periodic progress reports publicly available.

WestConn, like other universities, produces greenhouse gases when it heats its buildings, transports students and runs other vehicles, or consumes electricity. Climate neutrality — the goal of the agreement — is achieved by conservation, use of renewable energy and carbon offset purchases, which can be bought from projects like wind farms to fund the production of clean energy.

The climate commitment, available at http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/, states in part: “We believe colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality.”

By signing the agreement, Schmotter committed WestConn to achieve at least two steps from the following list:

• Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the equivalent of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver standard of the U.S. Green Building Council.
• Adopt an energy-efficient appliance-purchasing policy requiring purchase of Energy Star certified products.
• Establish a policy of offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel paid for by the institution.
• Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors to the institution.
• Within one year of signing the document, begin purchasing or producing at least 15 percent of WestConn’s electricity from renewable sources.
• Establish a policy or a committee that supports climate and sustainability shareholder proposals at companies where the institution’s endowment is invested.

The last three buildings constructed at WestConn were built to LEED standards: Centennial Hall, a residence hall on the Westside campus; the Science Building on the Midtown campus; and the Westside Campus Center.

The university also has initiated a program called “WestConnserve” to encourage energy savings by every member of the campus community.

The group that produced and promotes the Presidents Climate Commitment is a collaboration of Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, an association of colleges and universities working toward sustainability in higher education in the U.S. and Canada (http://www.aashe.org/); ecoAmerica, a marketing and research organization that specializes in environmental issues (http://www.ecoamerica.net/); and Second Nature, an environmental advocacy group (http://www.secondnature.org/).

“I’m delighted that our efforts toward sustainability and environmental responsibility will be complemented and further encouraged by participation in this broader initiative,” Schmotter said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.