Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.52
Liaison Ruairi O'Mahony
Submission Date Aug. 10, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Massachusetts Lowell
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Ruairi O'Mahony
Executive Director
Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
Yes

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:

UMass Lowell is actively engaged with our partners in the City of Lowell to find sustainable solutions to our future growth. As both the city and university evolve, we must preserve and honor our unique place in American history. Balancing the needs of a growing university with those of our host community is a challenge that UMass Lowell has embraced. UMass Lowell worked with the City of Lowell in 2015 to adopt a 'Complete Streets' policy that advocates for the inclusion of infrastructure such as bike and transit priority lanes that will support future sustainable travel patterns.


Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
Yes

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:

UMass Lowell's Office of Sustainability, Facilities Planning, and Transportation departments actively engage with the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments MPO to inform sound practices in regional economic development, transportation and environmental stewardship.

UMass Lowell is also an active member of the Massachusetts Leading By Example council.


Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
Yes

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:

The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at UMass Lowell uses rigorous science and innovative strategies to develop practical solutions that promote environmentally sound systems of production and consumption.The Center hosts a national green chemistry business organization, the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3) since 2005, which participates in public policy and advocates for sustainability with some of the largest companies in the nation. The work of the Center is funded by a wide range of different supporters including corporations, government agencies and private individuals. Examples of recent donors include:

John Merck Fund
Garfield Foundation
Heinz Endowments
University of Massachusetts Creative Economy Initiative
U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health
Walmart Foundation


Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
Yes

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:

UMass Lowell's Juliette Rooney-Varga and her colleagues at Climate Interactive ran World Climate, their simulation of the UN climate negotiations, at COP-21 in Paris. The purpose was to show conference attendees, the media and, ultimately, policy-makers the projected global warming impacts of targeted greenhouse gas emission reductions.

The World Climate Simulation is a tool that enables people to build awareness of this critical challenge and experience some of the dynamics that emerge in the UN climate negotiations. The exercise is framed by current climate change science, through the interactive C-ROADS computer simulation, enabling participants to find out how their decisions impact the global climate system in real-time.

World Climate is an effective tool for public policy advocacy around climate change. It has been used at the local, regional, national, and international level to advocate for sound public policy in relation to climate change.


A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):

NA


A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):

NA


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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