Planning Areas

From ClimateNetworkWiki

Planning Areas is a Solutions page in the Knowledge Base that is designed to help the Planning pillar of goBEYOND.

There are several different ways of categorizing solutions to climate change. The "Areas" list looks at the issue from major areas where greenhouse gases are emitted by our society.

• Energy: Energy production is the world's largest source of GHG emissions. This sector explores alternative forms of energy production, and how to apply them on your campus. For energy efficiency initiatives, see Buildings.
• Buildings: All campuses have buildings on them which contribute to GHG emissions. This page explores best practices like energy efficiency, living buildings, green roofs, and rating systems like LEEDS.
• Transportation: Transportation is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. This section explores options for campuses to reduce their transportation emissions, including U-Passes, parking management, and cycling infrastructure.
• Food: Let's not take that campus cafeteria pizza or falafel for granted! Growing and transporting food contributes to carbon emissions, and there are many delicious options for lowering your campus' food footprint.
• Waste: Landfills are a source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. If we can reduce the amount of materials we send to the landfills through reducing, composting, and recycling, it will help our schools go beyond carbon neutral - and most likely to save money, too! Check out How to Conduct a Waste Audit, Composting Guide for Colleges, and your school could join the ranks of those who are turning trash into treasure and making their own soil. Check out UBC Waste Management for examples of really neat waste management programs.
• Purchasing The GHG emissions resulting from the production and transportation of products purchased by the university (paper, computers, furniture, books, school memorabilia, etc.) are rarely included within the boundaries of GHG emission reduction plans, but they are significant. For example, a study at UC Berkeley found that if they included campus procurement and other remote sources, their GHG inventory total would more than double (Eagan et al. 2008^[1]).