Since 1993, Second Nature has worked with over 4,000 faculty and administrators at hundreds of colleges and universities to help make the principles of sustainability fundamental to every aspect of higher education.

Late 2006
Twelve (12) visionary college and university presidents initiated the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). They were motivated by their conviction that higher education had the capacity and responsibility to lead on climate and sustainability action for the sake of their students and society.

These Founding Signatories worked with Second Nature, ecoAmerica, and AASHE to develop the Commitment.  The twelve (12) ACUPCC founding signatories were:

Loren Anderson, President Pacific Lutheran University	Michael Crow, President Arizona State University	Nancy Dye, President Oberlin College
Jo Ann Gora, President Ball State University	David Hales, President College of the Atlantic	Bernard Machen, President University of Florida
Gifford Pinchot III, President Bainbridge Graduate Institute	Kathleen Schatzberg, President Cape Cod Community College	Mary Spilde, President Lane Community College
Douglas Treadway, President Ohlone College	Darroch Young, Chancellor Los Angeles Community College District	Paul Zingg, President California State University, Chico

Early 2007
The founding signatories invited their peers across the nation to join this historic endeavor.

Late 2007
By September 15, 2007, 336 institutions had joined the initiative as charter signatories.

Early 2008
By Earth Day 2008, the ACUPCC was a national initiative with signatories in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

2009
Second Nature became the lead supporting organization for the ACUPCC with additional support from AASHE.

2010
Second Nature initiated the annual Climate Leadership Awards, recognizing ACUPCC institutions for their innovation and excellence.

2011
Second Nature became the only supporting organization for the ACUPCC. Through the ACUPCC, higher education has become the only sector in the United States with a critical mass committed both to the scientifically necessary goal of climate neutrality and to preparing students to develop the solutions for a just, healthy, and sustainable society.

2015
Second Nature rebranded and expanded the ACUPCC to form the signature program Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments, which houses the Carbon Commitment (focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions), a Resilience Commitment (focused on climate adaptation and building community capacity), and a Climate Commitment that integrates both.  Climate Leadership Network signatories have formerly signed onto at least one of these three commitments.    

These changes built on the history of the ACUPCC, and were informed by a strategic planning process with extensive feedback and input from signatories and partners.  The Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments were officially launched on October 2015 at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, when ten (10) leading presidents who served on the Climate Leadership Steering Committee joined Second Nature in a signing ceremony. 

These three commitments provide a clearer distinction between Second Nature and its Climate Leadership Network, while also providing higher education institutions flexibility in the climate action activities that they choose to focus on. It also provides an opportunity for higher education to continue to lead on the defining issue of our time and to model and innovate the climate solutions necessary to preserve a climate conducive to supporting human civilization.