New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate Change Action Plan

In 2003 Tufts President Larry Bacow pledged Tufts’ support and participation in the New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) Climate Change Action Plan (created in 2001).

Commitment

Tufts University is concerned about climate change and we will work to support the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) to meet the goals of its Climate Change Action Plan by:

1. Assessing our institutions energy use and pursuing policies and programs to reduce our institution’s energy bill,
2. Taking advantage of opportunities to research the problem of global climate change and its solutions,
3. Educating our students on the problem of global climate change,
4. Incorporating the issue of global climate change into our curriculum, where feasible, and
5. Developing long-term plans to shift away from carbon intensive fuel sources to clean, renewable energy resources.

Emissions Reduction Goals

Short term Goal: Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2010

Mid-term Goal: Reduce GHG emissions by at least 10% below 1990 emissions by 2020, and establish an iterative five-year process, commencing in 2005, to adjust the goals if necessary and set future emissions reduction goals.

Long-term Goal: Reduce regional GHG emissions sufficiently to eliminate any dangerous threat to the climate; current science suggests this will require reductions of 75-85% below 2001 levels by 2050.

These goals represent a more significant decrease  in emissions than called for in the Kyoto Protocols. In 2010, Tufts University met both its short term and long term goals by reducing emissions by 12% below 1990 emissions. The Sustainability Council declared new goals for the University in its 2013 report.

Documents

List of participating universities (as of 2005)
NEG-ECP Climate Change Action Plan
NEG-ECP Climate Change Program website
Tufts Journal article
Tufts Sustainability Report