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Briefing Room

The White House
For Immediate Release
December 11, 2015

American Campuses Act on Climate

On November 19th, 2015, the White House launched American Campuses Act on Climate (ACAC) initiative to amplify the voice of the higher-ed community in support of a strong international climate agreement in the United Nations COP21 climate negotiations in Paris. The launch included a White House roundtable with campus and business leaders, including school presidents and students, to highlight best practices to promote sustainability and address climate change on college campuses. Additionally, a live-streamed conversation with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy also energized young people to achieve ambitious climate goals on their campuses and push for increased global action.

As of December 10, 318 colleges and universities representing over 4 million students have demonstrated their commitment by joining the American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge. Modeled on the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, it complements any previous pledges or commitments institutions might have already. The pledge reads:

“As institutions of higher education, we applaud the progress already made to promote clean energy and climate action as we seek a comprehensive, ambitious agreement at the upcoming United Nations Climate Negotiations in Paris. We recognize the urgent need to act now to avoid irreversible costs to our global community’s economic prosperity and public health and are optimistic that world leaders will reach an agreement to secure a transition to a low carbon future. Today our school pledges to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy while enhancing sustainable and resilient practices across our campus.”

 

Schools standing behind ACAC pledge:

  1. Agnes Scott College
  2. Alfred State College (SUNY)
  3. American University
  4. Antioch College
  5. Antioch University New England
  6. Appalachian State University
  7. Auburn University
  8. Augsburg College
  9. Ball State University
  10. Bard College
  11. Bay de Noc Community College
  12. Bennett College
  13. Bennington College
  14. Bentley University
  15. Berea College
  16. Bergen Community College
  17. Binghamton University (SUNY)
  18. Boston Architectural College
  19. Boston University
  20. Bowdoin College
  21. Bowie State University
  22. Brandeis University
  23. Bristol Community College
  24. Brookhaven College (Dallas County Community College District)
  25. Brown University
  26. Buffalo State (SUNY)
  27. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
  28. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
  29. California State University Channel Islands
  30. California State University Maritime Academy
  31. California State University San Marcos
  32. California State University, Bakersfield
  33. California State University, Chico
  34. California State University, Dominguez Hills
  35. California State University, East Bay
  36. California State University, Fresno
  37. California State University, Fullerton
  38. California State University, Long Beach
  39. California State University, Los Angeles
  40. California State University, Monterey Bay
  41. California State University, Northridge
  42. California State University, Sacramento
  43. California State University, San Bernardino
  44. California State University, Stanislaus
  45. Carnegie Mellon University
  46. Cayuga Community College (SUNY)
  47. Cedar Valley College
  48. Central Community College
  49. Champlain College
  50. Chandler-Gilbert Community College (MCCCD)
  51. Chesapeake College
  52. Claflin University
  53. Clark Atlanta University
  54. Clarkson University
  55. Cleveland State University
  56. Clinton Community College (SUNY)
  57. Coahoma Community College
  58. Colby College
  59. Colgate University
  60. College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY)
  61. College of Lake County
  62. College of Optometry (SUNY)
  63. Colorado College
  64. Colorado State University
  65. Columbia University
  66. Columbia-Greene Community College (SUNY)
  67. Coppin State University
  68. Cornell University
  69. Corning Community College (SUNY)
  70. Cuyahoga Community College
  71. Dartmouth College
  72. Delta College
  73. Denison University
  74. Denmark Technical College
  75. DePaul University
  76. Desert Research Institute
  77. Dickinson College
  78. Duke University
  79. Dutchess Community College (SUNY)
  80. Eastern Connecticut State University
  81. Emory & Henry College
  82. Empire State College (SUNY)
  83. Erie Community College (SUNY)
  84. Estrella Mountain Community College (MCCCD)
  85. Farmingdale State College (SUNY)
  86. Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY)
  87. Finger Lakes Community College (SUNY)
  88. Florida A&M University 
  89. Florida Climate Institute 
  90. Florida Gulf Coast University
  91. Florida International University
  92. Frostburg State University
  93. Fulton-Montgomery Community College (SUNY)
  94. Furman University
  95. Gallaudet University
  96. GateWay Community College (MCCCD)
  97. Gateway Technical College
  98. Genesee Community College (SUNY)
  99. George Mason University
  100. Georgetown University
  101. Glendale Community College (MCCCD)
  102. Goshen College
  103. Goucher College
  104. Governors State University
  105. Green Mountain College
  106. Hampshire College
  107. Harvard University
  108. Harvey Mudd College
  109. Haskell Indian Nations University
  110. Haverford College
  111. Hawai'i Community College (UH)
  112. Herkimer County Community College (SUNY)
  113. Honolulu Community College (UH)
  114. Howard University
  115. Hudson Valley Community College (SUNY)
  116. Humboldt State University (CSU)
  117. Iowa State University
  118. Jamestown Community College (SUNY)
  119. Jefferson Community College (SUNY)
  120. John Carroll University
  121. Johns Hopkins University
  122. Kapi'olani Community College (UH)
  123. Kaua’i Community College (UH)
  124. Kent State University
  125. Lane Community College
  126. Lasell College
  127. Lawson State Community College
  128. Leeward Community College (UH)
  129. Lewis and Clark College
  130. Lincoln University of Missouri
  131. Macalester College
  132. Maritime College (SUNY)
  133. Maryville College
  134. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  135. Mesa Community College (MCCCD)
  136. Miami Dade College
  137. Michigan State University
  138. Middlebury College
  139. Millersville University
  140. Milwaukee Area Technical College
  141. Missouri University of Science and Technology
  142. Mohawk Valley Community College (SUNY)
  143. Monroe Community College (SUNY)
  144. Montgomery County Community College
  145. Morehouse College
  146. Morgan State University
  147. Morris Brown College
  148. Morrisville State College (SUNY)
  149. Nassau Community College (SUNY)
  150. New York University
  151. Niagara County Community College (SUNY)
  152. North Carolina A&T State University
  153. North Country Community College (SUNY)
  154. North Lake College
  155. Northeast Lakeview College (Alamo)
  156. NorthWest Arkansas Community College
  157. Northwest Vista College (Alamo)
  158. Northwestern University
  159. Norwalk Community College
  160. NYS College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at Cornell University (SUNY)
  161. NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University (SUNY)
  162. NYS College of Human Ecology at Cornell (SUNY)
  163. NYS College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University (SUNY)
  164. NYS School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell (SUNY)
  165. Oakton Community College
  166. Oberlin College
  167. Onondaga Community College (SUNY)
  168. Orange County Community College (SUNY)
  169. Pacific University
  170. Palo Alto College  (Alamo)
  171. Paradise Valley Community College (MCCCD)
  172. Paul Smith's College
  173. Phoenix College (MCCCD)
  174. Pitzer College
  175. Pomona College
  176. Portland Community College
  177. Portland State University
  178. Princeton University
  179. Purchase College (SUNY)
  180. Quinebaug Valley Community College
  181. Radford University 
  182. Ramapo College of New Jersey
  183. Randolph College
  184. Raritan Valley Community College
  185. Rio Salado College (MCCCD)
  186. Rochester Institute of Technology
  187. Rockland Community College (SUNY)
  188. Rutgers University
  189. Salisbury University
  190. San Antonio College (Alamo)
  191. San Diego State University (CSU)
  192. San Francisco State University (CSU)
  193. San José State University (CSU)
  194. Santa Clara University
  195. Schenectady County Community College (SUNY)
  196. School for International Training
  197. School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  198. Scottsdale Community College (MCCCD)
  199. Shaw University
  200. Smith College
  201. Sonoma State University (CSU)
  202. South Mountain Community College (MCCCD)
  203. Southern Connecticut State University
  204. Southern Oregon University
  205. Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center
  206. Southern University and A&M College
  207. Southern University at New Orleans
  208. Southern University at Shreveport
  209. Southern University Law Center
  210. Spelman College
  211. St. Mary’s College of Maryland
  212. St. Philip's College (Alamo)
  213. Stanford University
  214. Stonehill College
  215. Stony Brook University (SUNY)
  216. Suffolk County Community College (SUNY)
  217. Sullivan County Community College (SUNY)
  218. SUNY Adirondack
  219. SUNY Broome
  220. SUNY Canton
  221. SUNY Cobleskill
  222. SUNY Cortland
  223. SUNY Delhi
  224. SUNY Downstate Medical Center
  225. SUNY Fredonia
  226. SUNY Geneseo
  227. SUNY New Paltz
  228. SUNY Oneonta
  229. SUNY Oswego
  230. SUNY Plattsburgh
  231. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
  232. SUNY Potsdam
  233. SUNY Ulster
  234. Swarthmore College
  235. Syracuse University
  236. Temple University
  237. The College at Brockport (SUNY)
  238. The College at Old Westbury (SUNY)
  239. The George Washington University
  240. The New School
  241. The Ohio State University 
  242. Tompkins Cortland Community College (SUNY)
  243. Towson University
  244. Truman State University
  245. Tufts University
  246. Tulane University
  247. Unity College
  248. Universities at Shady Grove
  249. University at Albany, SUNY
  250. University at Buffalo, SUNY
  251. University of Alaska Southeast
  252. University of Arizona
  253. University of Arkansas
  254. University of Baltimore
  255. University of California, Berkeley
  256. University of California, Davis
  257. University of California, Irvine
  258. University of California, Los Angeles
  259. University of California, Merced
  260. University of California, Riverside
  261. University of California, San Diego
  262. University of California, San Francisco
  263. University of California, Santa Barbara
  264. University of California, Santa Cruz
  265. University of Colorado Boulder
  266. University of Connecticut
  267. University of Delaware
  268. University of Florida
  269. University of Hawai’i - West O'ahu
  270. University of Hawai’i at Hilo
  271. University of Hawai’i at Manoa
  272. University of Hawai’i Maui College
  273. University of Illinois at Chicago
  274. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  275. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences
  276. University of Maryland University College
  277. University of Maryland, Baltimore
  278. University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  279. University of Maryland, College Park
  280. University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
  281. University of Massachusetts Amherst
  282. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
  283. University of Michigan
  284. University of Minnesota
  285. University of Minnesota, Morris
  286. University of Mississippi
  287. University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  288. University of Nevada, Reno
  289. University of New Hampshire
  290. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  291. University of North Carolina at Wilmington
  292. University of Northern Iowa
  293. University of Notre Dame
  294. University of Pennsylvania
  295. University of Puget Sound
  296. University of Richmond
  297. University of San Francisco
  298. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)
  299. University of Washington
  300. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
  301. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
  302. Upstate Medical University (SUNY)
  303. Vassar College
  304. Vermont Law School
  305. Villanova University
  306. Wake Forest University
  307. Wake Technical Community College
  308. Wells College
  309. Wesleyan College
  310. Wesleyan University
  311. Westchester Community College (SUNY)
  312. Western Michigan University
  313. Western Technical College
  314. Wheaton College
  315. Willamette University
  316. Williams College
  317. Windward Community College (UH)
  318. Yale University

Interested schools should email Outreach@ceq.eop.gov for instructions on how to join.