F E AT U R E S
A Safer Planet, Planned On Columbia’s new sustainability promises. BY ELIZABETH JACKSON
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very year, the climate asks us what it will take for us to get serious about protecting the Earth. Every year, a longer California fire season, more devastating Florida hurricanes, a more stifling heat wave (somewhere, everywhere). Every year, I wonder if I’ve seen the last cool October, the last month of inbetween days separating throat-closing heat from parka-wearing wind. “It’s been this warm in March before, right?” I ask my enduringly patient father; as though to say, “I know the climate is changing but please, please, not so fast.” After years of climate protests, negotiations, and both grassroots and high-profile organizing, we’ve thankfully seen bolder government commitments to reduce emissions over the past year. However, these commitments must be made even more ambitious if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and, maybe even more importantly, governments and private entities alike must be more explicit about the concrete mechanisms they will implement to achieve their goals. Columbia University has increased its emphasis on climate action since the beginning of last year, announcing its intent to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The University also announced the formation of the Climate School and its direct divestment from fossil fuels. These important actions and commitments have been met by similar questions about whether and how the University’s heightened commitment to sustainability would be reflected in its own operations. This past Earth Day, Columbia offered an answer to these questions by unveiling its latest sustainability plan. Dubbed “Plan 2030,” this collection of initiatives follows up on the University’s inaugural 2017-2020 plan as part of its commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The net-zero commitment covers all emissions defined as greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol, one of the earliest global agreements to limit GHG emissions. The University also breaks down its emissions into three categories: Scope 1
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emissions are GHG emissions directly produced by Columbia sources, like campus fleet vehicles or boilers in its buildings; Scope 2 emissions are “indirect emissions from the consumption of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling”; and Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions, like faculty travel and investments. Plan 2030 sets interim targets for emissions reduction, expressed as percentages of 2019 emissions: 15% reduction by 2025, 42% by 2030, and 63% by 2035. Such targets are essential on the road to net zero, to avoid procrastination on important emissions reduction measures. Columbia reports its emissions through The Climate Registry, a non-profit organization that provides tools, including reporting mechanisms, to help organizations transparently reduce their emissions. Assistant Vice President in the Office of Environmental Stewardship Jessica Prata explained that OES collects and compiles data annually on all of Columbia’s emissions sources (including electricity usage and commuter emissions) into a Greenhouse Gas Inventory. From there, Columbia calculates its emissions based on widely used standards publicized by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and submits its data and calculations to TCR, which requires the University to hire a third-party verifier for the data. Columbia has engaged in this process since 2017. As Sustainable Development Professor Jason Smerdon discussed, in addition to independent verification, this transparency is “the best way for anything like this to have true accountability and oversight.” Energy Campus energy consumption is responsible for 99% of total Scope 1 and 2 emissions, making this area absolutely crucial to achieving Columbia’s net-zero goal. The best method to reduce emissions associated with energy consumption is obvious: consume less energy. Columbia plans to decrease consumption by implementing greater efficiency measures, including updated efficiency standards for new buildings and building retrofits, “fuel-related improvements in effi-
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