Climate Action Plan
Whitman College Climate Action Plan:
In 2016 Whitman College adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP). The development of the plan was in response to the College’s 2013 Greenhouse Gas Report. The Climate Action Plans established a roadmap for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The Climate Task Force was made up of various campus community members who formulated the plan.
The Climate Action Plan Task Force Charge:
In authoring Whitman's Climate Action Plan, the Task Force must define the scope of the campus carbon footprint, establish a deadline for achieving carbon neutrality, create milestone goals and objectives to meet the deadline set by the Board of Trustees for completing the plan (February 2015) and also for achieving the longer term goal of carbon neutrality. Our hope is that this plan will serve Whitman well for many years by outlining how we can reduce energy consumption and its attendant costs and make a contribution to improving the quality of our climate. Given that human activity has environmental impacts and certain goals or functions of the College involving these activities will not be compromised, neutrality will then require carbon offsets. The Task Force will determine the best path to neutrality balancing concerns over cost, reductions effectiveness, and quick action.