Rowan signs pledge to reduce global warming emissions
University first in state to join national initiative
March 15, 2007

Colleges and universities across the country are heeding the call to do their part to reduce global warming emissions on their campuses. Rowan University President Dr. Donald Farish has committed the university to the movement by recently signing a pledge to work toward becoming climate neutral.

"We cannot depend on manufacturers alone to reduce global warming emissions," said Farish. "Colleges and universities, in many cases, are like small cities. We have a responsibility to address the issue of global warming both in our curriculum as well as in our practices. We must lead by example."

Farish is one of 134 presidents, and the first in New Jersey, to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. By signing the pledge, the University has committed to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible. Climate neutrality is achieved when an organization reduces its carbon emissions as low as possible and then institutes initiatives that offset the remaining emissions, such as purchasing renewable energy. The University will begin the process by conducting a comprehensive inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions and developing an institutional action plan within the next two years that will ensure the University adopts new policies and procedures that will reduce carbon emissions and save energy.

Rowan already has taken a number of steps toward its long-term commitment. University officials recently signed a contract to purchase 25 percent of the institution's electricity from wind energy sources. Rowan's Energy Review Panel has been implementing energy saving practices and procedures for the past three years. The University is in the midst of organizing a sustainability council that will work with the broader University community to achieve the goals specified in the climate commitment. And, Rowan has made great strides in reducing waste through its recycling program—the University placed third in a national collegiate waste-minimization competition last year.

"Climate change will be the defining challenge of the 21st century. Higher education institutions must take a leadership role in managing this major societal and environmental risk through education, research, and through its own actions," said John Cusack, executive director of the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability. "Rowan should be commended for its efforts."

Rowan's pledge places the university in the forefront of Gov. Jon Corzine's efforts to reduce carbon emissions statewide. The governor's Executive Order 54 has committed the state to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 and 89 percent by 2050, and it is expected to make those reductions mandatory for state agencies and state higher education institutions.

For more information on the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, visit www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.