Cal State Long Beach became a Charter Signatory to the Climate Leadership Commitment Thursday by pledging to have a more environmentally conscious and sustainable campus.
CSULB will be responsible for keeping public records of climate target goals and their progress, all while incorporating sustainability into the university’s curriculum.
“CSULB has a long history of sustainability and I am pleased we are joining universities across the nation in this important commitment to making our world a better place,” President Jane Close Conoley said in a statement. “There is still much to be done, and by becoming signatories to the Climate Commitment, we are pledging to continue our work and communicate our progress as a campus and a community.”
Established in Boston, the Climate Leadership Commitments are part of a program run by the nonprofit Second Nature, an organization that uses their contracted commitments to keep higher education institutions accountable in matters of climate sustainability and progress.
The Climate Commitment combines the Carbon Commitment and Resilience Commitment that push for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and creating buildings that incorporate climate adaptation into their structure restoration respectively.
A recent study from the University of New Hampshire found that Carbon Commitment participants were using 47 percent less carbon emissions from purchased energy than other campuses not associated with the Climate Commitments, but still working toward sustainability solutions.
Currently, CSULB’s campus has eight Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified facilities, which focus on renovating buildings to create sustainable landscapes and energy efficient power sources.
The campus has also implemented a water action plan, which has reduced the university’s water usage by millions of gallons. CSULB has installed low-flow showerheads and urinals and plans on continuing its water conservation by converting 90,000 square feet of its landscape into drought resistant lawns.
