July Climate Action Planning Workshops
The Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability is hosting a series of regional workshops focused on writing a Climate Action Plan. Join representatives from other schools to learn about the process of climate action planning and how other institutions in the region are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Workshops are free but preregistration is required. For more details and registration visit:
The workshops will feature Juliana Goodlaw-Morris of the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology program providing an overview of Climate Action Planning 101 including an explanation of the resources available to assist schools in the process. Presentations will also be made by representatives from schools that have completed a CAP or are well along in the process. Plenty of time will be allowed for question and answer and exchange between workshop participants.
In order to minimize travel distances, UMACS has arranged for four workshops throughout the Midwest.
- Monday July 13 at University of Wisconsin Madison
- Tuesday July 14 at University of Wisconsin River Falls
- Wednesday July 15 at Macalester College in Minnesota
- Thursday July 16 at Grinnell College in Iowa
Each workshop runs from 9:30 am - 3:00 pm with a break for lunch. All workshops are free and open to participants from any college or university. Registration is available on the UMACS Website.
A Climate Action Plan or CAP is required for all signatories to the American College and University President's Climate Commitment. With over 630 institutions signing the commitment, the ACUPCC represents leadership on the part of higher education in addressing the challenges of climate change. Climate Action Plans, due on September 15th for the earliest PCC signatories, are the specific ways in which signatories plan to meet this obligation. Many schools who are not signatories to the President's Climate Commitment have also chosen to prepare a climate action plan as well.
The workshops will be very interactive. Afternoon sessions will feature break outs with focused work time and discussion of different elements of a Climate Action Plan including emission reduction strategies and the education and curriculum aspects of a CAP. One goal of the workshops is for each participant to leave with a clear action plan for next steps at his/her institution.
Become a UMACS Campus Liaison for your school
We are building a network of individuals on campuses around the region who will serve as a conduit of information about campus sustainability efforts. We ask campus liaisons to post information on the UMACS website about your school so we can build a database of UMACS affiliated institutions and the sustainability work happening at each school. To become a liaison for your campus, please complete this simple form.
CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
In addition to the CAP workshops in July, watch for these upcoming opportunities:
Greening of the Campus Conference VIII will be held September 20-23, 2009 in Indianapolis. This long running campus sustainability conference is now a partnership between Ball State University and AASHE. This year's theme is "Embracing Change". Learn more about the conference:
2010 UMACS Conference: Save the date! The 2010 UMACS biennial conference has been tentatively scheduled for April 9-10, 2010 at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. Check back in the fall for more details and a call for presenters.
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To learn more about UMACS, offer suggestions, or get involved, visit our website.
If you have a campus sustainability event you would like to publicize, visit the calendar page on the UMACS website and add your event.