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JCC president commits to 'climate neutral' campus

JACKSON  –  Jackson Community College President Dan Phelan committed this week to sharply reducing and eventually eliminating all of the College’s global warming emissions, and accelerating the research and educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.

The pledge came with JCC’s signing of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, joining the leaders of 406 other institutions across the country.

“Global warming is a defining challenge of our time,” said Phelan. “Human activities are responsible for the problem, and working together humans have the capacity to solve the problem. That means taking serious action today to stop adding global warming pollution to the atmosphere. JCC is committed to leading the way.”

Phelan will create a comprehensive institutional action plan to move toward climate neutrality. In addition, in the short term JCC will immediately begin taking concrete actions that build on the College’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

The Presidents Climate Commitment is the first such effort by any major sector of society to set climate neutrality – not just a reduction – as its target. This undertaking by America’s colleges and universities is inspired by efforts like the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership and other collective efforts by states and businesses.

"Colleges and universities must lead the effort to reverse global warming for the health and well-being of current and future generations," said Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University and a founding member of the ACUPCC Leadership Circle. "On behalf of all the signatories, I welcome President Phelan to the commitment; we are honored and pleased to have him join us."

The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the Earth’s climate. Under the guidance and direction of the Leadership Circle of presidents, the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is being supported and implemented by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Second Nature, and ecoAmerica.

Learn more at: www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.