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Nearly a month after SUNY ESF released its first Sustainability Action Plan, ESF leaders are continuing to work with the SUNY schools to finalize system-wide sustainability goals.

SUNY’s proposed system-wide plan — the SUNY Climate and Sustainability Action Plan — outlines sustainability goals in the fields of “education, research, workforce development, and decarbonization of its facilities, fleet, purchases, and operations.”

The plan includes 125 goals and actions that will gradually be implemented across all campuses from 2025-30. It emphasizes SUNY’s commitment to using “evidence and science-based strategies” to meet decarbonization goals, empower students and faculty to enhance sustainability practices and collaborate with economic partners to expand climate solutions. SUNY’s draft is dated Sept. 9, and all SUNY schools will collect feedback on it through Nov. 30.

Its proposed goals include achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, eliminating waste, educating the public on sustainable practices and fostering economic development to create jobs in climate and sustainability industries, among others.

Eden Gardner, president of ESF’s Mighty Oak Student Assembly and a contributor to the general SUNY plan, said that while the plan provides a framework for the next five years, it’s only one step in a longer process to improve sustainability across the state.

The announcement of the SUNY-wide plan coincides with the release of a similar, ESF-specific plan. ESF’s plan, known as SAP, was launched in October after the university worked on it throughout the 2023-24 academic year. Gardner said SAP will also further guide the SUNY system in creating specific action strategies.

SAP, which contains several initiatives that align directly with the proposed SUNY plan, was developed from interviews with over 85 campus community members — including students, faculty and others interested in ESF’s sustainability goals.

ESF’s plan focuses on five key areas — enhancing academic coursework and research, transparent and proactive leadership, campus and community engagement, sustainable facilities and operations and inclusion, diversity, equity, access and belonging. The proposed SUNY-wide plan shares several of these goals.

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SAP identifies several direct initiatives that integrate sustainability into everyday tasks, including sustainability-focused campus tours, offering service-learning opportunities, evaluating community partnerships, providing climate impact information and creating space for open and difficult conversations.

In addition to community responses, SAP also aligns with New York state climate goals, including the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System v3.0, New York state Executive Orders 22 and 32, the ESF Strategic Plan, SUNY requirements and ESF’s Office of Sustainability goals.

The ESF plan was also created to help improve the university’s performance in the AASHE STARS, per an Oct. 11 ESF news release. ESF received its platinum designation from the AASHE STARS v3.0 in 2021. The platinum designation signifies the most distinguished level of sustainability performance in all areas of higher education — above gold, silver and bronze.

In 2023, SUNY Oswego received a gold ranking, while SUNY Oneonta earned a silver ranking, according to STARS reports.

SUNY owns about 40% of New York state-owned buildings. Its facilities have a large impact on sustainability state-wide in terms of emissions, construction materials, electricity and other materials used in those buildings, according to the SUNY-wide plan.

This semester, ESF’s Office of Sustainability has set up multiple tabling events and posted information about the sustainability plans on social media to spread awareness among the student body.

The office also organized a SUNY Student Assembly Town Hall in September to discuss the policies and hear feedback from over 100 attendees from about half of the SUNY campuses, as well as other colleges, Gardner said.

MOSA also encourages students and faculty to voice their opinions on changes to the SUNY plan through its general feedback form, open until the end of November.

Published on November 10, 2024 at 9:02 pm

Contact Kate: kjacks19@syr.edu