The Role of Higher Education

The Role of Higher EducationReducing the threat of global climate change will take coordinated action on the part of governments, industry, communities and individuals. Academic institutions play a particularly crucial role, especially in countries such as the United States where rates of college attendance are high.24 Institutions of higher education have an excellent opportunity to inform people about global climate change and enable them to address this critical threat in all areas of their lives.

Universities and Future Leaders: Will the Blind Keep us Blind?

The future leaders of industry and government—key players in finding a workable solution to global warming—are attending college now. By fostering their appreciation for the problem now, they will be more likely to help mitigate it in the coming decades. People in developed nations bear special responsibility for addressing climate change because they are responsible for almost half of the world's anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions.25 Americans, with the highest total and per capita figures, account for the largest share of these emissions.26

Instilling a sense of responsibility to society is a key component of a liberal education.27 Society has granted a special charter to universities—academic freedom, tax-free status, and government resources—“in exchange for the dissemination of knowledge and values to ensure the health and well-being of society.”28 Because climate change has the potential for disastrous consequences for people around the world, it is within the mission of academic institutions to teach students about their significant role in the problem.29

Universities and Innovation: Will They?

Institutions of higher education are in an ideal position for developing innovative greenhouse gas reduction programs because of their focus on learning. Many have faculty whose research aligns with the study of climate change or the many social, ecological and economic problems that surround it. Students are ideal candidates for research and data collection projects. By tapping the energy and knowledge of their academic personnel, colleges and universities may be able to identify ways of addressing climate change locally and on a broader scale.

Universities and Consumption: Walking the Talk

In addition to the resources that educational institutions have for addressing climate change, they also make a considerable contribution to the greenhouse gases that are at the root of the problem. In 1999, colleges and universities used at least 172 trillion Btu in major fuel sources, including 19 billion kwh in electricity.30 This figure does not account for energy-intensive laboratory, residential, dining or administrative buildings and therefore significantly understates the true energy consumption on U.S. campuses. Because the CO2 released during energy production is the principal anthropogenic contribution to global warming, campus energy consumption is significant. This is especially true in the United States, where almost a quarter of worldwide energy-related CO2 emissions originate.31   

If colleges and universities are to expect their students to assume a sense of social responsibility, then they are obliged to lead by example. As Harvard Green Campus Initiative Director Leith Sharp observes: “If a university can’t meet its profound responsibility as a member of a global community, then who will?”32

Universities and Regional Economies: Business as Usual?

With a combined operating budget of more than $250 billion—2.8 percent of the U.S. Gross National Product and more than the GDP of all but 20 countries in 2001—American colleges and universities also affect the greenhouse gas emissions by way of the goods and services they purchase.33 We must use this economic weight to convince and help businesses go green, innovate, radically reduce consumption, and shift to renewable resource supplies.

The powerful environmental and moral rationale for student-oriented campus sustainability programs is supporterd by a number of financial and other advantages, as described on the next page, "Benefits of Taking Action."