IU approves a plan to combat climate change and become carbon neutral by 2040

Bloomington, Indiana – In a press release published on Monday, Indiana University stated that IU President Pamela Whitten has approved the university’s climate action plan. The strategy, which is based on suggestions made by IU’s Climate Action Planning Committee, will guide IU toward carbon neutrality by 2040.

After many student demonstrations, notably those organized by the climate advocacy group Students for a New Green World, calling for the university to divest from fossil fuels, IU established the Climate Action Planning Committee in the spring of 2022. The committee was tasked with developing thorough recommendations to lower IU’s greenhouse gas emissions throughout the university’s nine campuses. The committee was made up of professors, employees, and student representatives from various IU campuses.

Soha Vora, president of SNGW, said: “Off the bat, I’m happy to see commitments like carbon neutrality by 2040 like we have been demanding for three semesters.” I’m especially pleased to see the plans for implementation committees on each site and for diverse student and faculty representation.

SNGW stated in an Instagram post that there is still more to be done to guarantee the plan is carried out.

“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 post stated.

The strategy offers six proposal categories—renewables, utility grid, infrastructure, behavior, financing, and implementation—to lower the university’s carbon emissions.

In order to facilitate overall grid decarbonization and the substitution of renewable energy sources for fossil fuel energy generation, IU will work with Indiana utilities.

By improving heating, cooling, and energy distribution systems, as well as by replacing equipment in accordance with their infrastructure recommendations, IU will try to boost energy efficiency across all of its campuses.

They offer suggestions for using renewable energy sources where it is practical to do so.

Additionally, IU wants to alter how students behave by promoting the use of shared appliances and lowering energy usage.

The plan’s financing section will set up various means to finance all projects that call for financial support. This will include monies from energy savings, grant applications, philanthropic donations, as well as federal, state, and local funds.

Under its implementation category, the institution will also set up structures, such as implementation committees made up of staff, students, and subject-matter experts, to oversee and guarantee the plan’s successful execution.

“I am grateful to the students, faculty and staff who served on the Climate Action Committee sharing their time, expertise and passion for sustainability to develop these innovative recommendations,” Whitten said in a statement to IU Today. “Our university’s new comprehensive and thoughtful plan will create a legacy that benefits the people of Indiana for many generations.”

Requests for response from Whitten and Thomas A. Morrison, chair of the Climate Action Planning Committee, went unanswered right away. Go to iu.edu/climate for more details on the strategy and any modifications.