After growing up in a small, progressive town, I don’t think I truly understood the global climate crisis until I was released, aka went to college, from what felt like my bubble. I was shocked, and unpleasantly surprised, about how common daily practices for me, such as recycling, using reusable water bottles or shopping local, […]

The Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments have been catalysts for rigorous and robust actions on hundreds of campuses and in many communities across the nation since. More than a declaration, a campaign, or an annual membership, signatory institutions commit to sustained action. This community is made up of over 400 institutions and is overseen by a Steering […]

Bold commitments to climate action by higher education leaders have a significant impact at their institution and beyond. Presidents or Chancellors must sign one of the 3 commitments to join the network. 1. Before Signing Investigate We have developed resources to help you determine the best fit for your institution out of the 3 commitment options. […]

The Climate Leadership Network is comprised of colleges and universities across all 50 states including the District of Columbia, who have committed to take action on climate and prepare students through research and education to solve the challenges of the 21st century.

Overview of Planning Themes Signatory institutions agree to develop a climate action plan for becoming climate neutral and by which defined thresholds of resilience will be met. This climate action plan is to be developed within three years of the implementation start date, and should include a target date as well as interim milestones for […]

Planning for Mitigation Reducing the output of greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most critical responses to climate change, which is why it plays a central role in implementing the Carbon and Climate Commitments. The direct reductions of on-campus emissions is often a tangible and highly successful demonstration of sustainability policy; something to bring […]

From Reporting to Dynamic Assessment Many will be familiar with the adage: “what gets measured gets managed” (Peter Drucker). It’s a good beginning to many projects, and helps to build clarity around expectations and goals right from the beginning. In the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments, for example, we have repeatedly heard how important it is […]

Understanding & Assessment A clear evaluation of your organization’s current situation is the starting point from which a planning team can build a successful action plan for responding to climate change. One of the most powerful aspects of sustainability is that it is inherently forward-looking, providing planners with broad principles from which to consider the […]

The Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments have been catalysts for rigorous and robust actions on hundreds of campuses and in many communities across the nation since. More than a declaration, a campaign, or an annual membership, signatory institutions commit to sustained action. This community is made up of over 400 signatories and is overseen by a […]

From Leadership to Action The model of change that Second Nature supports is that strong commitments by leaders in the higher education sector yield big changes at multiple levels – not only in the institution that those leaders manage, but in the sector at large, and even beyond. And it’s important that in supporting this […]

People & Leadership Organizing for Success An important first climate action planning step is creating appropriate institutional structures for preparing and implementing your plan. Typically, this means identifying participants and establishing one or more committees or working groups – necessarily working with the full blessing, support, and involvement of top campus leadership. As you develop […]

Becoming Part of the Climate Leadership Network My institution is interested in signing one of the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments, why should we sign? The presidents and chancellors signing the Commitments are publicly demonstrating with their actions that addressing climate and sustainability issues are central to the education, research, and service mission of higher education […]

The Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments provide frameworks to advance campus climate action. While each institution determines their own goals and actions, there are key steps needed to fulfill the intention of the commitments. Please use this Implementation Handbook to review the requirements and find links to in-depth resources for implementation. 1. Sign Commitment From the […]