The Aspen Institute’s Higher Ed Climate Action Releases Plan to Drive Urgent and Lasting Climate Solution

The Higher Ed Climate Action Task Force publishes a roadmap for the higher education sector to prepare students, engage communities, and drive innovation in a changing climate

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Washington, D.C., August 1st -Today, Higher Ed Climate Action, an initiative of the Aspen Institute's This Is Planet Ed, released the Higher Ed Climate Action Plan(Action Plan) to support the higher education sector in advancing a holistic and systemic approach to climate action. The report highlights ways for institutions to integrate climate considerations into all aspects of campus operations, research, education, and community engagement, emphasizing that isolated efforts are insufficient for meaningful impact and seeking effective actions to drive progress.

Co-chaired by Mildred García, Chancellor of the California State University system, and Kim Hunter Reed, Louisiana's Commissioner of Higher Education, the Higher Ed Climate Task Force (Task Force) consists of 20 leaders across climate, education, philanthropy, business and other sectors. Building on This Is Planet Ed's previous work with early years and K-12 education, Higher Ed Climate Actionseeks to accelerate this sector's progress on climate action and identify policies to scale climate action across all sectors. The Task Force held a series of public listening sessions to learn about the needs and opportunities for higher education to advance action and created the Action Plan as a comprehensive framework for the sector.

"Our institutions already serve as crucial community anchors, and we need to leverage our resources and influence to build resilience for our communities," said García. "We need collaboration to tackle the climate challenge, and higher education will be a critical partner to work with people in their space and language to advance meaningful climate solutions."

"This is an issue that matters to people because it affects their lives and well-being. We must ensure that students have opportunities to learn, lead, and work in meaningful jobs that positively impact their communities in this changing environment," said Reed. "We can improve the sustainability of our campuses, grow the green economy and develop long-range solutions by harnessing the talent of faculty, students and staff across this country."

The action plan offers recommendations to ensure that the nation's nearly 4,000 institutions of higher education, enrolling 19 million students, can leverage their strengths in building knowledge, fostering innovation, engaging communities, and modeling solutions to create a sustainable, resilient, and equitable society. It emphasizes the importance of building climate literacy, engaging students and communities in solutions, developing and effectively communicating actionable research, and ensuring that the benefits of climate initiatives are widely and fairly distributed.

"Climate change is an existential challenge, impacting students, communities, and institutions of higher education across this country," said John B. King, Jr., Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, as well as co-chair of This Is Planet Ed and the 10th U.S. Secretary of Education. "This action plan demonstrates how all of our institutions can act now to meet this challenge by preparing the next generation's workforce, producing essential research, supporting communities, and enabling all students to thrive in our changing climate."

"The Aspen Institute has prioritized supporting individuals, institutions, and communities everywhere as they address climate and energy challenges, and higher education has a unique power to foster solutions," said Dan Porterfield, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute and former president of Franklin & Marshall College. "It's inspiring to see the difference that the Higher Ed Climate Action initiative is making in order to harness the power of the sector and its 19 million students to make meaningful progress."

About This Is Planet Ed

This Is Planet Ed, an initiative of the Aspen Institute's Energy and Environment program, aims to unlock the power of education as a force for climate action and solutions. We believe young people will drive the necessary and sustained action we need to address climate change, and we must partner with them to advance a more sustainable, resilient and equitable society. www.thisisplaneted.org

About the Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership and action to help solve society's greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has a campus in Aspen, CO, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org

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