Presidents Climate Commitment Implementation Committee (PCCIC)
By signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), President David J. Skorton committed Cornell University to work toward a goal of climate neutrality. Within the commitment, there is a requirement that Cornell creates institutional structures to guide the development and implementation of a plan. The Presidents Climate Commitment Implementation Committee (PCCIC) will serve as the central coordinating committee for this effort.
Click here to read more on the PCCIC (pdf).
Speaking in Duffield on February 28, 2008, President David Skorton, said: "In signing the Presidents Climate Commitment, I was building on earlier, ongoing efforts to reduce energy consumption and improve sustainability, something that has been a Cornell priority for years."
What Is Sustainability?
"Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" is one widely accepted definition of sustainability. Stated differently, it involves reorganizing our life support systems - agriculture, transportation, energy production, etc. - so that life on Earth can be sustained indefinitely.
Our environment certainly has limits that can't be exceeded without adverse consequences. We can't simply ignore the amount of resources we extract from the Earth, how much waste we throw away, how much pollution is released into our air and water, and the effect that these practices have on our communities. Around the world, there are increasing indications that our current way of life is unsustainable: smog-clouded air, eroded soils, disappearing wildlife habitats, starving people, civil unrest, melting icebergs, and more. As we degrade our natural resources and continue to have vast negative impacts on our climate and environment, this way of life is being called into question. (more)
Get Involved!
Join a student organization, check out Cornell's academic programs, or look into how you can reduce your own adverse impacts on the planet.
Reducing Pollution
The university carefully monitors air quality both indoors and outside and protects its plentiful water sources from contamination.
Garbage
Cornell composts about 4,100 tons of waste every year, while recycling 2,300 tons of waste. The waste sent to the landfill declined 40% since 1990.
Energy Use
Cornell produces about 16% of its own electric supply sustainably. The campus reduced emissions of CO2 by 50,000 tons a year between 1980 and 2000.
Getting Around
Fewer cars on campus means more use of ride-sharing, bicycles, free public transportation, and alternative fuel vehicles.
Green Buildings
Cornell follows voluntary national standards for building sustainably and demands that contractors sign on to the same principles.
Cornell's Commitment to Nature
Cornell Plantations manages 4,000 acres of natural and cultivated lands. University administrators are committed to sustainability efforts on campus.
contact us: sustainability@cornell.edu p. 607-255-6375, f. 607-255-8461
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