Rationale for putting forward the resolution
- Whereas the Paris Agreement on climate change (2015); the International Panel on Climate Change Report (2018); and the Fourth National Climate Assessment Report by the US Global Change Research Program (2018) have all warned of the catastrophic dangers to humans and the earth if climate change is not addressed;
- Whereas Indiana and other Midwest legislators are leading and participating in the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucuses in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House;
- Whereas IU is internationally recognized as an Innovative University in Reuters’ Top 100: The World’s Most Innovative Universities;
- Whereas Core Value 7 of the IU Bicentennial Strategic Plan commits to “Sustainability, stewardship, and accountability for the natural, human, and economic resources and relationships entrusted to IU”;
- Whereas Action Items of the Strategic Plan include the goal “to solidify IU’s focus on efficient and environmentally conscious campus design and operation”;
- Whereas the IUB Bicentennial Priority One includes “Responsible Stewardship” and
- “developing sustainability understanding through comprehensive programming and engagement with the campus as a laboratory for sustainable practices” (Bicentennial Priority 1, Objective 1, Number 2e);
- “pursuing and supporting sustainability on our campus” (Bicentennial Priority 1, Objective 3, Number 1c);
- “support[ing] innovative campus ‘living laboratory’ initiatives that provide opportunities to integrate campus operations, faculty and student research, education, student life, and community engagement to applied, solutions-oriented sustainability research” (IU Bicentennial Strategic Plan, Principles of Excellence Three: IU Continuing Priorities Number 3)
- Whereas the mission of several IU Bloomington Schools and Programs includes education about sustainability and developing global citizens;
- Whereas, recognizing how current and future university students have made climate concerns and sustainable practices a high priority, as evidenced, for example, by the international student-led Global Climate Strikes;
Now, therefore be it resolved that
the IU Bloomington Faculty Council, representing the full IUB faculty, will work cooperatively with faculty, administration, staff, student constituent groups, the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, and relevant governmental authorities to:
- develop a campus-specific climate action plan by 2023, with reviews every 5 years;
- prioritize sustainability planning and the climate action plan as major, long-term goals of planning implementation on the IU Bloomington campus;
- actively support the work of the IU Office of Sustainability (Sustain IU), and both current and future academic, research, and service programs in and related to sustainability;
- encourage Sustain IU to ensure diverse representation across faculty, staff, administration and students on the Sustain IU advisory board, continue to incorporate BFC representation, and continue to work with the IU Vice President for Capital Projects, and the City of Bloomington Commission on Sustainability to ensure effective and efficient progress towards local and regional sustainability;
- request that the Sustain IU director, the BFC representatives on the Sustain IU advisory board, and the Vice President for Capital Projects report back to the BFC annually on campus progress towards carbon neutrality;
- anticipate the post-carbon, sustainable economic era and preserve fiscal responsibility while pursuing the goal of carbon neutrality;
- create effective synergy between administration, faculty, staff, and students as we implement and model sustainable best-practices and use of renewable resources to the IU Bloomington campus, student body, and wider community, for the next 50 years and beyond; and
- as a campus, collaborate on achieving the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, ahead of what is advocated by the International Panel on Climate Change Report.