WMU in the running for Climate Leadership Award

Kathy Jennings | Thursday, April 3, 2014

Update April 16, 2014: Western Michigan University is currently leading the people's choice portion of the competition to receive a naitonal Climate Leadership Award. With 8,918 votes at Second Wave's deadline, WMU is leading the next closest competitor, University of Massachusetts Amherst's 8,585 votes.

Sustainability efforts at Western Michigan University have been ongoing for 30 years, or as a new video detailing those efforts puts it, before building a sustainable campus was cool.

As the video continues those watching will learn WMU was the first university to establish a quasi-green revolving fund to pay for energy-saving projects. It has reduced its energy consumption by 15 percent at the same time its square footage has expanded by 19 percent. It has accomplished a CO2 reduction of 281 million pounds--the equivalent of adding 3.2 million trees to the planet or removing 26,000 vehicles from the roads. As important, WMU is committed to infusing sustainability across the curriculum.

Solar arrays, electric vehicles, food and gardening, and storm water management are other initiatives featured in the video that is part of WMU's bid to receive a national Climate Leadership Award.

The university is one of four finalists in the competition sponsored by Second Nature, a national nonprofit that seeks to create a sustainable society by transforming higher education, and Planet Forward, an initiative that uses media, teaching and bringing people together to deal with some of society's greatest challenges.

The Climate Leadership Award program features a public, online voting component. Voting is open now through April 15 in the competition. People can vote once a day. The other three schools in the running for top honors among doctorate-granting institutions are the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of North Texas and Ohio State University.

The Second Nature Board of Directors will choose the award winner in WMU's category as well as the winners in four other collegiate categories that are based on higher education Carnegie classifications. Winners will be announced in late spring.

"We've been committed to sustainability for a very long time, and we have a record of significant accomplishments," says WMU President John M. Dunn. "This honor is an acknowledgement of our past work, our current initiatives and our commitment to the future. It's about the culture of sustainability we're building on campus and in our community."

Source: Cheryl Roland, Western Michigan University

For more information about WMU's sustainability initiatives, see the website or contact the Office for Sustainability at wmu-sustinability@wmich.edu or (269) 387-0947.