Students for a New Green World hold up signs at Indiana University asking the university to make a climate action plan in 2022. (McKenna Conway/Students for a New Green World)
Indiana University unveiled its newest Climate Action Plan, pledging that all campuses will reach carbon neutrality by 2040.
Carbon neutrality is a “balance between the amount of carbon emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere,” according to the plan. IU will reduce direct emissions from university-owned or -controlled sources as well as indirect emissions from heating, cooling and electricity.
President Pamela Whitten approved the plan, and IU announced it Sept. 11.
“Our university’s new comprehensive and thoughtful plan will create a legacy that benefits the people of Indiana for many generations,” Whitten said in a press release.
The plan includes six categories: utility grid, infrastructure, renewables, behavior, financing and implementation.
The recommendations include investing in renewable energy and finding funding for energy-efficient projects. Another recommendation includes improving energy efficiency for buildings, heating and cooling systems, fleets and equipment.
The plan also addresses climate change and resilience. The university has reported a greater demand for cooling as temperatures in Indiana increase, the recommendation states. Temperatures and weather are likely going to become more extreme.
“Enhancing resiliency is a core driver of the Climate Action Plan, ensuring campuses can withstand and recover from climate-related disruptions while minimizing environmental impact,” the plan says.
IU began creating a new climate plan in spring 2022 with the Climate Action Planning Committee. Community input was requested and implemented, and 557 people turned out in public forums and sessions.
Students for a New Green World have pressed the university for climate action. SNGW specifically pushed for a climate plan by the end of this year and a promise for carbon neutrality — they got both with this new Climate Action Plan.
“We're really proud of how consistent that we've been, and how motivated everybody has stayed,” SNGW president and IU senior Soha Vora said.
SNGW began organizing and protesting three semesters ago, when the only Big Ten schools without a climate plan were IU and Purdue University. Purdue has not released a carbon neutral or decarbonization plan.
SNGW is excited their work has paid off, Vora said.
“There is still endless work to hold IU to the goals of the climate action plan and ensure transparency and equity, but this victory exemplifies the power of collective action,” the SNGW Instagram states.
Vora said the next steps for the group will be focusing on the Climate Action Plan’s implementation. She said she’s excited to see goals for diverse student, staff and faculty representation and committees on each campus.
“I look forward to working with faculty and students and the university on a goal on this plan, and the implementation of it that we've been working on for so long,” Vora said. “And I hope that they continue to look to us and listen to our voices.”
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @aubreymwright.
