Rio Salado Climate Action Plan
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Transcript of Rio Salado Climate Action Plan
American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 2
Introduction 3
ACUPCCTwo-MonthReportingForm 4
CarbonAudits 5
GHGMitigation 8
Currentmeasures 8
Futurestrategies 11
Educational,ResearchandCommunityOutreachEfforts 12
Financing 15
TrackingProgress 16
ClimateNeutrality 17
Appendix1:InsideRio,Volume10No.12008
Appendix2:ACUPCCTwo-MonthReportingForm
Appendix3:ACUPCCReportingSystemInformation
Appendix4:LeadershipCouncilMembership
Page 3 ACUPCC Carbon Footprint Action PlanPage 2 Rio Salado College Carbon Footprint Action Plan
AcknowledgementsRioSaladoCollegeistotallycommittedtothetriplebottomline(3BL)ofsus-tainability:sociallyjustandequitable,economicallyrobustandenvironmentallyviable.ThisisdemonstratedinthefactthatsustainabilityisoneoftheCol-legescorevalues;isGoal8oftheStrategicPlan,Rio2012;andissupportedbyemployeesthroughvolunteerprograms,suchasPay30Forward.TheClimateActionPlan,though,focusesmainlyontheenvironmentalpieceofsustainabil-itythrougheffortstoreducetheCollegescarbonfootprint.
Whileallemployeessupportsustainability,itwouldnothavebeenpossibletoproducetheRioSaladoCollege2009ClimateActionPlanwithoutthecontribu-tionsofthefollowingindividuals:
2009 Climate Action Plan ContributorsTheOfficeofthePresident Dr.LindaThor,President
Administration*ToddSimmons,VicePresident,BusinessandEmployeeServices
*VernonSmith,VicePresident,TeachingandLearning
LeadershipCouncil(seeAppendix4formembershiplisting)
Faculty*ShannonCorona,PhysicalSciences
BeatrizCohen,Counseling
CollegeStaff AlanTorvie,ArchitectandSustainabilityConsultant
DanielleTomerlin,SustainabilityConsultant
GenevieveWinters,Director,Research,PlanningandDevelopment
ChristyFlora,InstitutionalResearchAnalyst
*ElizabethCole-Fay,ProjectCoordinator
*RichardEspinoza,Director,Facilities
*DorothyStrait,Director,SiteOperations
LindaBird,ExecutiveAssistant
KevinBilder,Director,MarketingandPublicRelations
MatthewFreed,GraphicDesignerII
*SharonKoberna,Dean,AdministrativeandEmployeeServices
* DesignatesamemberoftheRioSaladoCollegeSustainabilitySteeringCommittee
IntroductionRioSaladoCollege(RioSalado)isoneofthe10collegesintheMaricopaCountyCommunityCollegeDistrict(MCCCD),whichisthelargestcommu-nitycollegedistrictinthenation.RioSaladohastheuniquedistinctionofbeingtheMaricopaCollegewith-outwalls.Mostoftheinstructionisconductedon-line(distancelearning),withinbusinessesorpublicinstitu-tions,orinvariouscommunitycenters.
RioSaladoisoneoffivecollegesintheMCCCDthatwereCharterSignatoriestotheAmericanCollegeandUniver-sityPresidentsClimateCommitment(ACUPCC)in2007.Thiscommitmenttoreducethecarbonfootprintsofthememberinstitutionsandtoseekclimateneutralitymandatedcertainrequirementsandstrategieslead-ingtosubmittalandexecutionofaClimateActionPlan.
TheRioSaladocarbon footprintisthesumofgreenhousegas(GHG)emissionsgeneratedbythestudents
andstaffoftheinstitution.Theseemissionsincludesixdesignatedgasesandrefrigerants,butareprimar-ilycarbonbasedfuelsandelectricitygeneratedfromfossilfuels,andpri-marilycarbondioxide.ThemeasureofgreenhousegasesisexpressedasCO2equivalents(CO2e)andmeasuredinmetrictons.InordertoquantifyandcompareGHGemissionsforcolleges,theACUPCCreportstonsofCO2eperfull-timeequivalentstudent(FTE).TheACUPCCrequirementsincluded:
WithintwomonthsoftheImple-mentationStartDate,establishaninstitutionalstructuretoguidethedevelopmentandimplementationoftheClimateActionPlan.
WithintwomonthsoftheImple-mentationStartDate,select2ormoreTangibleActions,selectedfromalistof7options,tobeinitiatedandcompletedwhilethelongtermClimateActionPlanwasbeingdeveloped.
WithinoneyearoftheImplemen-tationStartDate,andannuallythereafter,completeaninventoryandpublicreportongreenhousegasemissions(CarbonAudit).
WithintwoyearsoftheImplemen-tationStartDate,developaClimateActionPlanthatincludesatargetdateandinterimmilestonesforachievingclimateneutrality.
Onanongoingbasis,makepubliclyavailabletheinstitutionalstructure,greenhousegasinventory,ClimateActionPlan,andprogressreports,byprovidingthemtoAASHE(As-sociationfortheAdvancementofSustainabilityinHigherEducation)forpostinganddissemination
ThisClimateActionPlanincludesasummaryofthefindingsoftheRioSaladocarbonauditoffiscalyear2007/2008greenhousegas(GHG)emissions,andthecurrentmeasuresandproposedstrategiestoreducetheRioSaladocarbonfootprint.
Page 5 ACUPCC Carbon Footprint Action PlanPage 4 Rio Salado College Carbon Footprint Action Plan
ACUPCC Two-Month Reporting FormInstitutional StructureWhentheCollegesubmitteditstwo-monthreportingformitdesignatedtheLeadershipCouncil,whichincludesthePresidentandVicePresidents,Deans,AssociateDeans,FacultyChairs,andstaffandstudentrepresentationastheinstitutionalstructurewiththeresponsibilityforimplementationoftheClimateActionPlan.TheLeadershipCouncilisalsochargedwithadvancingallformsofsustainabilitywithinthecollege.
Carbon Audits2007-2008TheCarbonAuditforfiscalyear2007/2008wascompletedandthereportsubmittedtotheACUPCCinSeptember2008.ACarbonAuditforfiscalyear2008/2009isbeingcompleted,andwillbesubmittedtoACUPCCinSeptember2009.TheCarbonAuditwillberepeatedandsubmittedeachyear.
TheuniqueeducationaldeliverymethodprovidedbyRioSaladoresultsinoneofthesmallestcarbonfootprints(GHGemissionlevelsperstudent&staffpopulation)ofallthecollegesanduniversitiesthathavereportedto
ACUPCC Tangible ActionsRioSaladosubmittedtheACUPCCTwo-MonthReportingFormonNovember15,2007,whichindicatedthree(3)oftheoptionstobeaccomplishedbytheCollege.TheTwo-MonthReportingFormincludedthefollowingTangibleActions:
Action #2: Adopt energy efficient appliance purchas-ing policy
RioSaladoimmediatelyinstitutedapolicyrequiringthatallnewappliancepurchasesbeEnergyStarrated.
Action #4: Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all staff, stu-dents, and visitors
ThisActionrequiredeitherfreeorsubsi-dizedtransitpassesorfreecampusshuttles.ThroughtheMCCCD,RioSaladoprovidessubsidizedtransitpasses.
Action #5: Purchase or produce 15% of electricity from renewable resources
BothutilitycompaniesthatprovideservicetoRioSaladofacilitiesgenerate/purchasepercentagesoftheirelectricityfromrenew-ablesources.SaltRiverProject(SRP)cur-rentlyincorporates5%andwillincreasethatpercentageto15%by2020;andArizonaPublicService(APS)incorporates2%andwillachieve15%by2025.RioSaladoantici-patesreaching15%by2020.Inadditiontopurchasingrenewablepower,RioSaladoisinvestigatingsolarandotherstrategiesforon-siterenewablepowergeneration.
date.TheGHGemissionlevelof.9metrictonsofCO2eisapproximately24%ofthenationalaverageforcommunitycolleges.TheonlyotherinstitutionsreportingtoAASHEthathavesimilarcarbonfootprintsalsoprovideonlyorpredominantlyon-linedistancelearning.
Themajorityofinstitutions,includingRioSaladoCollege,usedtheCleanAir/CoolPlanet(CACP)CampusCarbonCal-culatortodeterminetheGHGemissionscreatedbytheirphysicalplant,students,andstaff.
The UnIqUe edUCATIonAl delIvery meThod ProvIded by rIo SAlAdo reSUlTS In one of The SmAlleST CArbon fooTPrInTS...
Page 7 ACUPCC Carbon Footprint Action PlanPage 6 Rio Salado College Carbon Footprint Action Plan
Insummary,theexceptionallysmallcarbonfootprintgen-eratedbyRioSaladosfacilities,staff,andstudentsistheresultofRioSaladoseducationaldeliverymodalitiesandteachingmethods.
Online Distance Learning:
Onlinedistancelearningisaverysustainabledeliverymodality.Therearetwomainfactorsforthis:theneedforfacilitiesisminimizedandcommutingisnegligible.
Facilities-BecausethemajorityofRioSaladosstudentsareonlinelearners,theneedforclass-roomsandotherinstructionalspaceiselimi-nated.RioSaladosbuildingsconsistprimarilyofadministration,facultyoffices,informationtech-nologyfacilities,andothersupportstaffspaces.
Commuting-Commutingmilesandtheresul-tantfuelconsumptionareminimal.Commutingtoattendclassroomsessionsiseliminated,andevencommutingforadvising,registration,tobuyandsellbooksatthebookstore,topaytuitionatthecashiersofficeandothercentralofficefunc-tionsisoptional.Allstudent-relatedservicesareavailableonline.Commutingisonlyrequiredformid-termandfinalexaminationsatconvenientcollegelocationsformostcourses.
Off-Site Teaching:
AnotherlargesegmentofRioSaladosteachingisdoneoff-siteforemployeesofcorporateandgov-ernmentalpartners,anddualenrolledhighschoolstudents.ThesedeliverymodalitieseliminatetheneedforCollege-ownedfacilities.
EducationServicePartners(ESP)-Theinstruc-tionoccursduringworkinghoursand,therefore,thecommutingmileageforthesestudentsisnotreportableforcarbonfootprintpurposesbyRioSalado.Itischargedtotheemployersincetheinstructionoccursasaresultofthestudentsemployment.Rioprovideslearningopportuni-tiesforover50majorcorporations,militarybasesandgovernmentalagencies.
Dualenrollmentsites(highschools)RioSaladohasdualenrollmentprogramscounty-wideat53highschools.Theinstructertifiedhighschoolteachers.Studentsearnbothhighschoolandcollegecredit.Asaresult,commutingmileageiseliminatedforthisinstructionaldeliverymodal-ity.
Incarceratedre-entryRioSaladooperatesanoccupationaltrainingprogramthroughtheAri-zonaDepartmentofCorrectionsforinmates.Thetrainingconsistsofworkforce-basededucation(WBE)andlife-skillsinstruction.Thesestudentsdonotcreateanycommutingemissions.
TheGHGemissionsarecalculatedbythreesources(scopes):
Scope 1 Emissions
Defined-directemissionsoccurringfromsourcesownedorcontrolledbytheinstitution,includingstationaryandmobilecombustionandfugitiveandprocessemissions.
Manycollegesoruniversitiesowncentralpower,steam,chilledwater,orco-generationplants(fixedcombustion),butRioSaladosprimaryScope1emis-sionsarethos