President's Climate Leadership Commitment

Charge

In November 2022, President Chesley signed the President’s Climate Leadership Commitment (PCLC), a nationwide strategy by which colleges work to decrease their carbon footprint. The PCLC initiative was established in 2006 and is currently managed by Second Nature, a non-profit organization that works “to accelerate climate action in, and through, higher education.” Second Nature provides guidance, resources, and certifications to PCLC institutions.

The following PCLC activities align with the COCC Strategic Plan: 1) establish a PCLC taskforce, 2) complete a greenhouse gas emissions (GhG) inventory within one year (and annually thereafter), 3) establish a climate action plan (CAP) that will guide the college toward carbon neutrality, 4) take actions to reduce GhG, 5) integrate sustainability into the curriculum, and 6) make our CAP, annual GhG inventories, and progress reports available to the public.