
Continue Carleton’s leadership in emissions reductions on campus, and collaborate on and beyond campus to accelerate climate action.
Electrifying Campus
Pursue eliminating Carleton’s natural gas usage by increasing renewable energy on campus and greening the College’s electricity.
Connect renewable electricity directly to the Carleton electric grid.
- This includes the 2004 Vestas wind turbine, which would generate enough electricity to account for around 20% of Carleton’s annual electricity use, in addition to expanding rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays on campus.
Conduct a feasibility study to electrify campus.
- A feasibility study will explore strategies for:
- Expanding the geothermal heating and cooling system
- Increasing our use of solar energy or other renewables
- Prioritizing efficiency updates in buildings
- Determining battery storage options, and
- Exploring options that help us navigate local constraints related to utilities
Pursue green electricity.
- We will determine the process to purchase reputable and bundled Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) and consider whether these RECs are the best way to support green electricity.
Support a just energy transition.
- We will collaborate with community partners on local renewable projects that make green energy more abundant, support knowledge exchanges, and establish and maintain partnerships that advance and support a just energy transition, centering student experiences in the work [see Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; 2024)].
Improved Transportation
Reduce emissions and support equity associated with Carleton’s transportation.
Accelerate our transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging infrastructure.
- Replace 50% of our internal combustion engine (ICE) light duty fleet vehicles and golf carts with EVs by 2029, and install EV chargers to meet the needs of this transition.
- Provide additional chargers for use by faculty, staff, students, and the public as demand grows.
- Explore collaboration opportunities for off-campus EV chargers that would benefit Carleton and Northfield.
Improve opportunities in transportation locally through ongoing collaboration to support access and reduce cost burdens and emissions.
- Establish short-term, on-campus vehicle rentals or car shares
- Collaborate with students, faculty, staff, community partners, and policymakers in supporting transportation solutions in Northfield
- Support our campus community in reducing their travel-based carbon footprint and addressing cost- and access-related challenges associated with transportation.
Optimizing Infrastructure
Reduce building emissions, incorporate ecological landscaping into new buildings, and address climate risks to our buildings and infrastructure.
Incorporate recognized green building design standards into Carleton’s building design standards.
- Ensure that construction projects address, at a minimum, energy, indoor environmental quality, materials/waste, transportation, water, and ecological landscapes (see World Green Building Council).
Continue to reuse and retrofit existing buildings with sustainability- and equity-minded upgrades.
- This includes retrofits for efficiency, as well as meeting air conditioning, air quality, or other needs associated with extreme heat, and responding to increased flood risks by supporting relocation or revised usage of existing facilities.
Install energy meters on the building and block level to support energy savings projects and education.
- Make energy-use data public for ongoing decisions and campus and visitor education.
Behavioral Change
Engage for behavioral, cultural, and structural change to reduce emissions on campus and beyond.
Support continuity for Carleton’s move-out model, Lighten Up.
- Led by the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, Lighten Up co-advances sustainability by reducing waste, supporting reuse and community engagement, and generating resources for community partners.
Reduce life cycle-related emissions and the use of plastic.
- Ensure that campus dining and catering take single-use plastic to zero, and provide support to departments and units as they transition in this direction.
Support campus culture and community-building for sustainability.
- Continue to support our strong campus culture that engages sustainability within all roles and ensures that many of our student projects are informed by real needs on campus (e.g., facilities, student development, events, ITS, food services, energy, transportation, land management, housing, etc.).
Build relationships and collaboration beyond campus to address structural barriers to sustainability, climate action, and environmental justice progress.
- We know that we have roles in supporting change that extend beyond campus and that help construct or advance solutions, and Carleton is committed to being a leader in this work.