FAQs on Climate Action Planning
For ACUPCC Charter Signatories (all Presidents that signed the Commitment prior to September 15, 2007) the comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CAP) for your campus is due September 15, 2009. Fortunately, there is a good deal of existing guidance and examples from other campuses on how to complete a CAP. The following list of frequently asked questions is intended to help provide answers to questions many implementation liaisons have asked and point folks in the right direction for further information and resources. And remember - although not easy, creating a CAP is not as esoteric a task as it may first appear!
What is a Climate Action Plan (CAP)?
For ACUPCC signatory institutions, a CAP is an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral. It should include a target date as well as interim milestones for achieving climate neutrality. It should also describe planned actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and/or other educational experiences for all students. For more information, please see the ACUPCC Implementation Guide (PDF) section on CAPs starting on page 21.
What resources currently exist for writing a CAP?
AASHE has a resource of existing climate action plans from campuses and nearly 20 other publications released from campuses that are useful in preparing a CAP. In addition, the National Wildlife Federation has recently released a Guide to Climate Action Planning (PDF) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has Guidelines For Energy Management along with guidance for developing a State Climate Action Plan. There is also the recently released white paper from EH&E, Striving for Climate Neutrality on Campus: 7 Steps for Writing a Climate Action Plan.
What stakeholders should participate in creating the plan?
Broad representation should be sought although each campus will have unique needs that may require sub-committees and smaller groups to take on various aspects of the planning process. The types of people to have in mind include sustainability coordinators, students, administrators, financial officers, facilities and staff from physical plant, faculty, trustees, and community members.
Should we hire a consultant or do it in house?
Much like the greenhouse gas emissions inventories campuses are submitting, there is a range of approaches when it comes to hiring consultants or campuses choosing to do the work in house. In some cases, it may not be an either/or situation, certain aspects of the CAP may be able to be completed in house, with some outside private consulting. There are examples of CAPs using both approaches. For an example of a CAP done by a consultant, see Oberlin College's Carbon Neutral by 2020 report (PDF). For an example of a CAP done in house see Middlebury College's Carbon Neutrality Toolkit (PDF) report.
How much will it cost to write a CAP?
There is no inherent "cost" involved in writing the report other than staff time required which will vary depending on the institution. It will also depend greatly on whether a consultant is hired or not.
What is a realistic time line for completing a CAP?
This is also a difficult question to answer. For a large extent, it will be institution specific. There are many questions that need to be answered and considered before this question can be addressed. For example, how hard is it to get the necessary stakeholders together for meetings, how long did it take to complete the first GHG emissions inventory, what resources already exist for accomplishing this report and what resources are needed on your campus?
What resources does AASHE currently have or have planned to assist signatories?
AASHE has climate resources here and resources related to energy here. Our online Resource Center contains other resources that may also be helpful to signatories. AASHE plans to release a Wiki on CAPs in early 2009 to allow campuses to better share resources and provide guidance to one another in helping write a CAP. If you have specific questions related to your campuses climate action planning efforts please feel free to contact AASHE at reporting@aashe.org.
