Attendees: 

Anna Martinson, Brooke Lahneman, Candace Mastel, Christine Upton, Daniel Sandberg, Duke Elliot, Hailey Sinoff, Jacob Northcutt, Jared Leonard, Jessica Thompson, Justin Pennel, Jonas Shannon, Kate, Kerry Case, Kristen Blackler, Logun, Mathew Madsen, Nicholas Fitzmaurice, Paul Edlund, Paul Lachapelle, Steve Swinford

Call to Order and Approval of Previous Minutes

  • February minutes approved.

Informational Items

Presentation and Q&A on Lessons Learned from Campus Climate Action Plans

Kerry Case 

Chief Sustainability Officer

University of Utah

Kate M. Nelson

Chief Sustainability Officer

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Question, Kristen Blacker: Looking for new stretch goal/make a new action plan

            Kate Nelson:

  • UWM is a bottom up climate approach. Assembled a community and campus master plan first. The team at UWM works mainly in smaller task forces that solve individual problems/goals. Works away from generality and more towards specific groups of expertise to solve problems. Frames sustainability and resiliency as risk mitigation.
  • Uses grad programs to expand and work on sustainability goals. Working climate action planning curriculum into.

Kerry Case:

  • How can we involve curriculum and programs to work on climate action?
  • Preparing to enter new climate action planning, will include resilience.
  • Used a variety of workshops, classes and graduate programs to generate info on resiliency vulnerabilities. Currently using a task force to distill info down into a workable plan. Also consulting cities climate action plan.
  • Frame Climate action and resiliency planning as risk management.
  • How can we frame climate planning around equity?
  • Consensus from facility and students on climate planning is important to move action forward.

Question Brooke Lahnmen: What do you mean by resilience?

Kate Nelson:

  • We use the Nature Conservancy’s model with some additional tweaks after more research.
  • Climate change exacerbates most problem a campus and cities face.

Kerry Case:

  • Used the nature conservancy’s workshop and then heavily modified the definition of resiliency afterwards.
  • Must report to second nature so they used there 5 categories to evaluate resiliency. Infrastructure, Ecosystem, Equity in Government, Healthcare.

Question Paul Lachapelle: How to make the case that resiliency plans save money in the long run?

            Kate Nelson:

  • Everything we do is driven by numbers that show the damage done by climate change. All plans are backed by finances that justify them

Kerry

  • There’s a lot of important climate work that is not cost justified. We are working on justifying non finance driven projects.
  • The best way for students to get involved is to come together through student government and highlight what’s most important to them.

Additional points

  • Important to involve students in the decision-making process as they have the most stake in climate change.
  • Wide vs Deep impact. Encourage deep impact as it will create more long-lasting change, things like student interns and small groups can do this. Working sustainability into general requirements in curriculum can help to wide impact.

 

CSAC member news & announcements

Kristen Blacker AICHE is hosting climate change summit.

Julia Haggerty next meeting will have presentation that student climate action planning class will put on.

Public comment

Adjournment