Portland State received a 2013 Climate Leadership Award on Wednesday from Second Nature, a national nonprofit that works to create a healthy, just and sustainable society by transforming higher education.
PSU receives national Climate Leadership Award for innovation in sustainability
Portland State received a 2013 Climate Leadership Award on Wednesday from Second Nature, a national nonprofit that works to create a healthy, just and sustainable society by transforming higher education.
The awards are presented annually to institutions that have signed on to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and demonstrated innovative and advanced leadership in education for sustainability and climate mitigation and adaptation.
The award ends an academic year studded with sustainability accomplishments. PSU President Wim Wiewel received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools President award, and PSU was listed in the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges for the fourth year in a row. PSU was also named a gold-rated Bicycle Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists and was given the designation of “Changemaker Campus” by social entrepreneurship group Ashoka.
Portland State was named a finalist for the Climate Leadership awards in January and participated in an online showcase of videos in April. The video highlighted PSU’s sustainability assets, including the Bike Hub, the Solutions Generator program and the school’s Climate Action Plan. (Video: http://bit.ly/PSU-climate)
“I think we will look back on this academic year as the time when Portland State University raised the bar on sustainability,” said PSU President Wim Wiewel. “Innovation spans the campus from operations to the classroom, and our research and work in the community is supporting the region’s efforts to address the causes and mitigate the effects of climate change.”
PSU is one of 10 institutions and one of three doctoral-granting institutions to be recognized by Second Nature for its climate leadership.
“These exemplary institutions have shown us that bold action on climate is not only possible but pragmatic,” said David Hales, president of Second Nature. “Their operational, educational, and community initiatives are fueling the thought behind what is both necessary and achievable in addressing climate change, and the labors of these leading institutions will benefit all of society.”
Second Nature is the support organization for the ACUPCC.
The ACUPCC is a partnership among 669 colleges and universities to accelerate education, research, and community engagement to equip society to stabilize the earth’s climate while setting an example by eliminating net greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations.
