| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.64 |
| Liaison | Rachael Wein |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Smith College
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Emma
Kerr Campus Sustainability Coordinator Office of Campus 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, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Smith works with city officials, area residents and the parents of students to understand the various safety needs for pedestrians and bicyclists and on specific projects to encourage the Smith community and the people of Northampton to trade in their vehicles for more sustainable alternatives when traveling around town, in addition to increasing overall safety. Encouraging bicycle use has been an important focus for Smith's collaborations with the community toward becoming more sustainable. Recently Smith College committed to sponsoring a regional bike share program station to be built adjacent to our campus.
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, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Smith College President Kathy McCartney sent a letter to DOER Commissioner Judson urging the Department of Energy Resources to extend the existing Solar Renewable Energy Credit program through calendar year 2016 and to begin the process of putting a reformed solar incentive program in place. The letter stated the points below:
-Smith College has long pursued low and no carbon sources of power, and benefited greatly from state programs such as the alternative energy credits earned by our cogeneration facility. This plant was a $10M investment which now saves the college money, demonstrates our commitment to advanced technology and serves as teaching platform.
- The college makes 2% of our electricity from solar installed on our campus. We feel strongly that this is not only the right thing to do, but an essential demonstration of the viability of low carbon technology to our students and community. We are actively considering additional sites for solar investment, but these cannot at present be developed economically to their full potential due to the solar renewable energy program cap.
-We urge the Department of Energy Resources to begin the process of designing a successor incentive program to solar renewable energy credit program, and during this process, extend the existing program by adding additional program capacity through the end of the calendar year 2016.
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, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
Smith College President Kathy McCartney signed onto a letter with over 170 other college and university leaders to urge President Trump and the incoming congressional representatives to accelerate progress towards a clean energy future. The letter, organized by a diverse group of higher education institutions and the Boston-based nonprofit Second Nature, calls on elected officials to support participation in the Paris Agreement, climate research, and investment in the low carbon economy.
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, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.