Northern Arizona University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.33 / 2.00 |
Dayna
McKay Data Analyst Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
NAU is a strong climate action partner with the City of Flagstaff. NAU has supported the City of Flagstaff’s Carbon Neutrality plan by providing analysis to inform the city decisions, serving on the steering committee as well as explicitly aligning our carbon neutrality goals with those of the city, and pledging to work together to reach our 2030 carbon neutrality goals. Through these processes, we have identified joint areas of climate action including, renewable energy procurement, biomass utilization for regional forest resiliency, multimodal transportation (NAIPTA), and public education. The NAU president also declared a Climate Emergency to align with NAU values and support the City’s Climate Emergency Declaration. Flagstaff’s Sustainability Director is a member of the University Sustainability Advisory Board to ensure coordination in climate action.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
NAU is very active with local and regional issues affecting the communities we serve. Important to sustainability efforts and NAU’s astronomy research, NAU has been an engaged and vocal participant in dark sky regulations at the local and state levels. This has included advocacy at the state level for maintaining the current light restrictions related to billboards and other light polluters, as well as working with the city and business organizations on responsible local ordinances. NAU also participates in a statewide organization called Arizona Forward. Arizona Forward’s charge is to “convene business, as well as community and civic leaders in thoughtful public dialogue on critical sustainability issues for the state”. This dialogue has led to building widespread support for sustainability initiatives at the local, county, and state levels. The current priorities of AZ Forward include Clean Energy Acquisition, sustainable transportation, water conservation, and forest restoration.
NAU supported legislation at the state level on several important equity and affordability initiatives. In support of Dreamers, NAU advocated for SCR1044 in the state legislature and put a referendum on the ballot that allowed citizens to vote on the classification of post-secondary students for tuition purposes. This legislation passed in the Senate in 2021 and a referendum was placed on the ballot. The referendum was passed by AZ voters in 2022, allowing undocumented students (Dreamers) to pay in-state tuition. Additionally, NAU advocated for the establishment of a statewide financial aid program, called AZ Promise which provides tuition-free post-secondary education for AZ high school graduates who meet specific academic and financial criteria. The bill, SB1572, passed in 2020.
NAU’s research faculty and centers provide their knowledge and expertise at the state and regional level on many environmental issues. We assist land management planning for the State Land Department and State Forester through the Ecological Restoration Institute and have recently established a new Wildfire Initiative to support community planning efforts and other work to mitigate wildfire. We support water quality, water supply, and watershed science research in partnership with Salt River Project, one of Arizona’s largest energy producers. Specific information regarding the 5-year partnership which has continued with SRP can be found at: https://news.nau.edu/srp-research-partnership/
NAU also supports the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals which provides research information on climate change on Native American lands and in tribal communities as well as professional development opportunities for professionals and Native American leaders serving tribal communities. These tools include information on climate change impacts, adaptation strategies, and other relevant topics, which are resources in outreach with tribal government staff, leadership, and communities. Philanthropic support has been raised to support specific internship programs for Native American students collaborating with ITEP to enter environmental sciences fields upon graduation, continuing NAU’s commitment to expand expertise among environmental professionals across Arizona.
NAU faculty and staff have also been deeply engaged in Sustainable Regional planning. Five NAU representatives (academic and facilities staff) sit on the 2045 Regional Comprehensive Plan Technical Advisory Board that addresses Sustainable Transportation, Housing, Climate/Sustainability, Education, Economics, Public Health, Public Works, Recreation/Tourism, Parks/Trails, Natural Hazards/Emergency Management, Environmental Science/Natural Resources, and Indigenous Representation to promote a sustainable and equitable vision for our region.
https://flagstaff-regional-plan-2045-flagstaff.hub.arcgis.com/
Finally, at the regional/state level, NAU has formed a loose partnership with the City of Phoenix, the City of Sedona, the City of Flagstaff, and Arizona State University to advocate with our local utility to advance clean energy acquisition and the development of strategies to advance actions to reach carbon neutrality (e.g. building electrification, load management, transportation electrification, etc.)
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
Although not qualified for this credit, we would like to highlight the NAU researchers who help inform national policies. NAU contributed to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, a congressionally mandated report that marshals an expert consensus of research and opinion on the current state of climate change and makes it easy to read, understand, and put to use, in individual regions.
The report provides the foundational research to support informed decision-making nationwide. It builds upon previous assessments and aims to advance an inclusive, diverse, sustainable process for communicating scientific knowledge to resource managers, elected officials, and the general public. The report is broken out by sector and region to allow people to see what’s happening where they live.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
While the university has not engaged in international environmental policy discussions at the administrative level, and therefore not qualified for this credit, we would like to acknowledge the NAU scientists who are active in the UN IPCC, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the National Climate Assessments.
Gurney: involved with the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention and the Kyoto Protocol for 25 years and is a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
https://gurneylab.nau.edu/
Darrell Kaufman, Regents’ professor in the School of Earth and Sustainability, is a lead author of Working Group I, which focuses on the physical science of climate change.
Ted Schuur, Regents’ professor of ecosystem ecology and the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (Ecoss), is a lead author for a special oceans/cryosphere report and a contributing author to Working Group 1.
Michelle Mack, Regents’ professor of ecosystem ecology, is a contributing author for the IPCC special report on oceans and cryosphere.
Christina Schädel, an adjunct professor in Ecoss, is a contributing author for the IPCC special report on oceans and cryosphere and a special report on warming of 1.5 degrees.
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
Northern Arizona University engages in public policy discussions directly through the Office of the President, Offices of Engagement and Public Affairs and University Operations as well as through our Vice President of Research and individual research centers and faculty.
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
NAU does not make political contributions/donations.
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Information from the office of Christy Farley, Senior Vice President of External Engagement and Public Affairs and Erik Nielsen, Chief Sustainability Officer
Information from the office of Christy Farley, Senior Vice President of External Engagement and Public Affairs and Erik Nielsen, Chief Sustainability Officer
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.