Situation Analysis Basic Planning As the Office of Sustainability begins to work on the Auburn University Climate Action Plan, the prominent situation facing the committee is engaging the targeted publics. The current targeted publics include the faculty, staff and student body of Auburn University.
The Climate Action Plan was created after President Gogue committed Auburn University to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. In this agreement, the president agrees to specific terms addressing Auburn University’s future carbon footprint. According to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment,
Presidents signing the Commitment are pledging to eliminate their campuses’ net greenhouse gas emissions in a reasonable period of time as determined by each institution. This involves setting up a mechanism within two months to guide the process, completing an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions within one year from the subsequent of the three annual start dates: September 15, January 15 or May 15. Also, creating and implementing a climate action plan, which includes a target date and interim milestones for achieving campus climate neutrality within two years. Moreover, taking two of seven tangible steps specified in the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while the more comprehensive plan is develops. The university agrees to integrate sustainability into the curriculum and making it part of the educational experience. Finally, the action plan, inventory and periodic progress reports will be publicly available.
In accordance with the Climate Action Plan, the Office of Sustainability has established 10 working groups representing the campus community. The groups include energy, waste reduction and recycling, information technology, purchasing, transportation, buildings, grounds, food and dining, students and campus and community engagement. The initial purpose of the groups is to identify areas of need and later the groups are given the task of creating possible solutions to problem areas.
The importance and urgency of the Climate Action Plan was best stated on the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment website:
The re-stabilization of the earth’s climate is the defining challenge of the 21st century. The unprecedented scale and speed of global climate change and its potential for largescale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects threatens the viability of civilization. The scientific consensus is that society must reduce the global emission of greenhouse gases by at least 80% by mid-century at the latest to avert the worst impacts of global climate change and to reestablish the more stable climatic conditions that have
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