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Penn Connects > Campus Master Plan
A Vision for the FuturePenn Goes Green on College Green
September 15, 2009
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To the Penn Community:
Two years ago, I pledged that by 2009 Penn would create a plan to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance its overall sustainability practices. We now are poised to deliver on that promise.
We will announce our plan to the Penn community at a public event on College Green at noon on Wednesday, September 16. The Climate Action kick-off event will feature exhibits that tell Penn's sustainability story with information on research and teaching, energy, recycling and waste management, as well as transportation and our physical environment. We also will provide students with information about green courses available to them.
Please join me in gathering on College Green in celebration of our achievements. This is a terrific opportunity for Penn to highlight the important steps that we will take in the future to reduce our environmental footprint, share in the pride of our accomplishments, and to learn more about what we can all do to advance this critical initiative.
Milestones
In 2007, I signed the Presidents' Climate Commitment because I believe that universities should play a leadership role in worldwide sustainability through research, scholarship and education, as well as sustainable design, construction and operations. To that end, Penn faculty, students, and staff came together to form the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee, (ESAC) a team dedicated to developing a strong and viable plan within the promised timeframe.
Two years ago, Penn was the first Ivy League institution to embrace the national sustainability initiative, with Gutmann signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment pledge. Since then, the number of educational institutions participating in the project has grown to more than 600. In July 2007, Penn acquired 14 acres of industrial land adjacent to campus which is the focus of our award winning campus plan Penn Connects - A Vision for the Future. Sustainability is a guiding principle of this plan. We are excited to increase the amount of green space on campus by over 25% by converting parking lots to parkland, mitigating storm water runoff, reducing urban heat island effect, and creating a beautiful landscape to support native plantings. Buildings and renovations:
| Their work over the past two years has led to the Climate Action Plan, providing a comprehensive assessment of Penn's carbon footprint. A special thanks goes to the TC Chan Center in Penn's School of Design for completing this exhaustive research. The Climate Action Plan sets goals and objectives designed to raise the level of visibility and awareness of sustainability efforts on campus and to encourage new behaviors such as:
This is an enormous effort, representing the dedication of our entire campus community. I hope you will join me Wednesday for our Climate Action kick-off on College Green to express Penn's unwavering commitment to our planet's future, and to embark together on this important journey. Sincerely, Amy Gutmann
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5 MINUTES | GREEN FACTS Penn recently purchased commencement caps and gowns made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Penn is the largest purchaser of renewable energy credits among American colleges and universities. |
» more like this in Events | Going Green