should higher education go carbon neutral examining forest carbon sequestration alex french, m.s....
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Should Higher Education Go Carbon NeutralExamining Forest Carbon SequestrationAlex French, M.S. Candidate Environmental PolicyAdvisors: Dr. Stephen Bird, Dr. Susan Powers
American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
• 684 Signatories
• Develop Climate Action Plans
• Complete tangible actions: including offsetting airfare
To Reach Climate Neutrality
Step 1: Reduce Emissions
Step 2: Offset Remaining Emissions
• Developing offset projects themselves • Investing directly in
offset projects • Purchasing credits
generated from offset projects
ACUPCC Offset Protocols• Additional• Transparent• Measurable• Permanent• Verified• Synchronous• Accounts for
Leakage• Registered• Not double-
counted• Retired
Forest Carbon
Formally Carbon Neutral?
Goals and Objectives
• Research Higher Education Involvement
• Explore if protocols are in line with schools’ preferences
• Compare developing an education-based project to purchasing certified offsets
Methods
• Case Studies• Survey to Sustainability
Coordinators• Based on case studies
results• 99 schools participated
Research Questions
• What perceptions does higher education have? • Preferences / Benefits?• Barriers? • What model might
encourage involvement?
CASE STUDIES OF EXISTING PROGRAMS
Case Studies• University of Georgia: Costa Rica campus• Sewanee University• San Diego State University• Colgate University• Michigan State University• University of Florida at Gainseville• SUNY ESF• Presence Learning Village
University of Georgia• Reforestation in Costa Rica• Experiential education and research focused• Student fee financed• Not-certified: students measure, report, and verify• Many “soft benefits” • Does not comply with ACUPCC protocols
San Diego State University Model
• Environmental event is carbon neutral • Offsets against attendee travel• Compliance with ACUPCC protocols• Purchase offsets from Conservation Fund
Upper Ouachita Nat’l Wildlife Refuge
Survey to Sustainability CoordinatorsBased on Case Studies • 99 Completed Surveys • 83 AASHE members• 65 ACUPCC signatories
Questions• Perceptions• Benefits / Preferences• Barriers• Models
PERCEPTIONS
Offsets are Critical
Offsets not fraudulent
Carbon is undervalued
Justify more pollution
Greenwashing
Monocultures are effective
0 1 2 3 4 5
Perceptions of Carbon Markets
Average on 5-Point Likert
Not Important Neutral Comply0%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
4%22%
74%
Protocols Should Comply With Peer Groups (ACUPCC/AASHE)
Perception
Perc
enta
ge o
f Sch
ools
BENEFITS / PREFERENCES
Progra
m Cost
Certifica
tion
Education
Socia
l
Ecologic
al Benefits
Carbon Se
questrati
on
32%
13%19%
10% 10%16%
Weights of Program Attributes
Educational Bene-fits
61%
Certification Bene-fits
23%
Equal Benefits16%
Education Vs. Certification: Constant Sum Results
BARRIERS TO INVESTMENT
Prefer other forms of offsets
Uncertain of best way to enter market
Inadequate Funding
Lack of interest
Skepticism of market
Not relevant to mission/vision
Complicated Administrative Requirements
Other barriers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Barriers to Market Entry
Schools Facing Barriers
Internal Verification Neutral Third Party Verification0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Preference for Internal Vs. External Verification
Num
ber o
f Sch
ools
Certifica
tion
Progra
m Cost
Education
Socia
l
Ecologic
al
Carbon
05
10152025303540
Attributes for Schools with Prefer-ences for Internal or External Veri-
fication
Internal External
Perc
enta
ge o
f Sig
nific
ance
Internal vs. External VerificationPreference for
Third Party Verification
Barrier: Interest in Producing or
Purchasing Forest Carbon
Not interested**
Formal Carbon Market is Critical
to Addressing Climate?
Agree***
** p < .05; *** p < .01
Sewanee - Educa-tion Model
68%
Formal Certified Model
25%
Undecided7%
Education vs. Certification Models in Context
The following describes two “real world” carbon offset projects. Please indicate your preference for one of the models…
Pay Plant71%
Pay Third Party Verification
21%
Undecided8%
Additionality vs. Registration
Imagine your university would like to develop a carbon-offset program... With the resources available from the university you can only afford one of the two options. Please select the best option:
Discussion
• Is certification important for higher education? • Dr. Quint Newcomer’s analogy
• Additionality? • “Without the investment in developing a new nursery, no new
carbon would be sequestered.” Dr. Quint Newcomer
• Do these finding apply to other offsets?• Yale Community Carbon Fund
Conclusions• Schools that want forest carbon want to work outside the
formal market• Peer protocols should be updated• Third party verification:• Is a barrier due to increased program costs.• does not increase transparency or additionality
Getting the most out of Carbon Neutrality
• Take risks - Universities are not multi-national corporations!
• Invest in research, teaching, and outreach
• Develop unique, cost-effective projects
Imagine
• 684 developing projects• Sharing data• “Learning by doing”• Training a workforce