91探花 has earned an 鈥淗onorable Mention鈥 for Climate Innovation in the 2018 Climate Leadership Awards鈥 four-year institution category by Second Nature.
91探花 is just one of eight institutions to be honored by Second Nature, an organization committed to accelerating climate action in, and through, higher education. The University鈥檚 award will be presented later this month during Second Nature鈥檚 2019 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in Tempe, Ariz.
OHIO鈥檚 recognition was based on a combination of University initiatives, innovation efforts and support and collaboration with other organizations.
鈥91探花 remains focused on serving as a national leader in sustainability, both through our internal efforts and through our partnerships with others,鈥 91探花 President M. Duane Nellis said. 鈥淚 look forward to working collectively with OHIO鈥檚 Office of Sustainability and the rest of the campus community as we continue down our path to becoming a zero carbon footprint campus.鈥
91探花, in alignment with President Nellis鈥 strategic pathways, recently launched a new Sustainability Committee as part of a in October 2018.
The new committee will utilize Sustainable Living, Sustainable Administration and Sustainable Infrastructure Hubs to better integrate OHIO鈥檚 operational and academic sustainability efforts. Each Hub will include student, faculty, staff and community participants in engagement ecosystems that advance initiatives related to the University鈥檚 sustainability and climate action goals.
OHIO has already decreased its own scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 49 percent since enacting its Climate Action Plan in 2012; it has also partnered with start-up companies in clean energy technologies that decrease carbon emissions. The University decreased its own emissions via a combination of fuel-switching, renewable energy certificate purchases and energy-efficiency initiatives.
Additionally, OHIO has completed a major infrastructure maintenance project that resulted in energy and water savings, created a Utility Master Plan, signed a contract to provide 50 percent of campus-purchased electricity from Green-e certified REC鈥檚 and met its commitment to stop burning coal by the end of 2015.
The University has also spearheaded numerous energy-efficiency projects within the campus community and beyond, including the construction and renovation of numerous campus buildings to meet LEED building requirements.
TechGROWTH Ohio, a public-private partnership of OHIO鈥檚 Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, Ohio Third Frontier and the private investment community, has generated more than $450 million in economic activity while supporting growth of several successful businesses whose products lead to carbon emissions reductions.
The Appalachia Ohio Zero Waste Initiative (AOZWI) and the AMD Paint Pigment project, both funded by the local Sugar Bush Foundation, are two additional examples of OHIO鈥檚 commitment to furthering sustainability efforts across the Appalachian region.
AOZWI is a 鈥渃omprehensive collaboration within Southeast Ohio that is turning waste into resources and changing the way the region thinks about waste,鈥 and includes a popular for local businesses. The AMD Paint Pigment project turns an environmental liability, acid mine drainage from a local abandoned coal mine, into a saleable commodity, artists鈥 paint. Both are examples of locally based, intentionally circular approaches to combat carbon emissions from excess waste and transportation.
OHIO also remains committed to preparing its students for a sustainable future through various undergraduate and graduate degree programs, a wide variety of courses that include sustainability and a Sustainability Studies theme. Student sustainability and climate action research is encouraged in many ways, including cash prizes for sustainability research at the annual Student Research and Creative Activity Expo, the alumni-created EcoChallenge sustainability competition and the local Sugar Bush Foundation, who provides grant support to sustainability- and community-focused projects.
In 2018, the Ohio EPA recognized 91探花 with its top environmental stewardship award, the E3 Platinum award. 91探花 was the first university in Ohio to achieve this recognition.