| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.57 |
| Liaison | Rebecca Collins |
| Submission Date | Dec. 14, 2023 |
Temple University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Caroline
Burkholder Senior Sustainability Manager 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:
In 2019, Temple University signed onto The Climate Collaborative of Greater Philadelphia organized and overseen by the City of Philadelphia. More information about the collaborative can be found here: https://phillyclimatecollab.com/
Temple University participates on Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee for the City of Philadelphia. The Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Committee (SWRAC) assists and advises the City on its waste management and recycling plans, policies, and programs. Temple University advocates for policies and programs that support goals outlined in Temple University's 2019 Climate Action Plan.
Temple University's 2019 Climate Action Plan includes goals related to reducing food waste and increasing recycling and waste minimization. A recent example of policy advocacy was regarding the Community Compost Network of which Temple University is one of 13 sites in the City of Philadelphia. Our advocacy supporting waste minimization, organics recycling, and single stream recycling is crucial to sustainability efforts at a municipal level.
Our participation https://www.phila.gov/departments/solid-waste-and-recycling-advisory-committee/
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:
PA Department of Environmental Protection - Local Climate Action Program (LCAP)
Temple University participated in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Local Climate Action Program (LCAP), which promotes and supports municipal, county and regional government entities in developing climate action plans. 40 government entities from across the state participate in LCAP. Temple representatives were matched with municipalities including Rutledge Borough, and Warring, Haverford, Chadds Ford, and Warwick townships.
Temple University, working directly with local government leadership, supported public policy that advanced the climate readiness of communities across the Commonwealth by assisting in the development of climate action plans to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.
Temple actively participated in this state government program to change existing sustainability policy by working with borough and township leadership to develop new targets and actions consistent with the 2018 Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan, a key piece of state-wide legislation. TU supported the enactment of policy by:
- assisting in the completion of GHG inventories,
- forming task forces,
- developing and implementing community engagement strategies,
- completing climate vulnerability assessments,
- modeling and forecasting emissions, and
- developing climate action goals objects and measure
Vision Zero
Philadelphia Mayor James Kenney signed Executive Order 11-16, committing to reduce traffic deaths to zero by 2030, and a coalition of city offices has since developed a series of action plans to achieve this goal of zero pedestrian deaths. Vision Zero has committees of city employees and other regional stakeholders including the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, area hospital systems, environmental advocacy groups, and universities. Temple Sustainability Senior Manager sits on the Safe People Subcommittee as a subject matter expert. The specific policy goal and campaign university leadership works in support of is to "shift trips from motorized to active modes of transportation to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and improve health."
In their capacity as Vision Zero leadership, Temple University participates in campaigns to amplify Vision Zero communications to build a traffic safety culture and educate Philadelphians about safe behaviors. Specifically, Temple has supported the goal of creating a mode shift toolkit and modeled a Mobility Alternative Program for employees to incentivize active transportation and low-carbon commute modes. This ongoing work has instigated discussions with regional legislators to advocate for more aggressive and robust pedestrian safety and urban planning policy and capital investment.
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:
Temple University signed the President's Act on Climate pledge, joining over 150 other American colleges and universities, to support the American efforts at the COP 21 Climate Talks in Paris. In addition, Temple University is a member of the US Green Building Council, and a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. All of these organizations participate in advocacy and sharing best practices around environmental sustainability
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:
Temple University's Dean and Vice Provost of Global Engagement signed the CANIE Accord to amplify the work of Temple's Education Abroad Department and support Temple University Climate Action Plan commitments globally in alignment with the Paris Agreement. Signatories of the Accord commit to actions that include supporting climate and environmental justice policies.
Additionally, Temple University is member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Members of NAFSA advocate for policies that foster the exchange of ideas, create a commonsense immigration process, support the evolution and improvement of democratic institutions, and encourage enlightened global engagement.https://www.nafsa.org/policy-and-advocacy/take-action https://www.nafsa.org/policy-and-advocacy
Lastly, Temple University is a recognized a United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) member organization. Established in 2010, the UNAI initiative connects higher education institutions in 145+ countries that share a commitment for realizing United Nations goals and mandates.
UNAI membership is a natural extension of Temple's commitment to widen the reach of higher education. Temple's culture and curricula emphasize active citizenship and social impact, creating transformative opportunities for faculty, staff and students to lead thoughtful and deliberate change in Philadelphia and across the globe.
The honor of UNAI membership not only provides Temple with recognition for its past humanitarian achievements, but also provides support for future endeavors. Temple now has access to UN-affiliated scholarships, fellowships, internship opportunities, collaborative research development resources, invitations to present at UN conferences & workshops, and connection to UN offices for events. In addition, being a UNAI member provides the university a platform for exchanging ideas with peer institutions and developing best practices to further advance Temple and UN goals.
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):
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:
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.