INFORMATION FOR
William Paterson University has won a new national collegiate award for its innovation and leadership in environmental sustainability.
The University received the most votes for producing an innovative video highlighting the institution’s sustainability efforts. The competition was held among the 20 colleges and universities selected as finalists for the 2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Award, which recognizes innovation and excellence in climate leadership at institutions that have signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).
William Paterson’s video received the most votes among the national finalists. It also won in the category of a “master’s college.”
Click here to view the announcement.
As the result of this award, William Paterson’s video may be featured in blog posts on The Huffington Post and National Geographic’s Great Energy Challenge blog, as well as on television, in webisodes, or in other public outreach opportunities sponsored by Planet Forward, an organization that addresses issues pertaining to energy, climate, and sustainability.
The video highlights the institution’s continuing efforts toward carbon neutrality, including conservation efforts that integrate sustainability across the curriculum, such as a new bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability. Since the initiation of its energy conservation program in 2001, the University has reduced its annual electrical and natural gas consumption, resulting in a significant reduction in carbon gas emissions as well as more than $17 million in total energy savings.
In May, the steering committee from the ACUPCC, an agreement between nearly 700 colleges and universities to promote sustainability through teaching and action, will select the official 2012 Climate Leadership Award winners.
