MARQUETTE, MI— NMU has finalized its “Path to Carbon Neutrality by 2050” plan.
Assistant Vice President for Sustainability Jes Thompson says the plan is a starting point to reducing emissions and the decarbonization process. She says purchasing cleaner energy, looking at opportunities for renewables on a large scale, and finding the right partnerships to do that locally is the first priority.
Reducing the physical footprint of campus is also part of the plan. Thompson says every square foot of campus that’s removed through right-sizing is a reduction in emissions.
NMU has identified other key strategies for achieving its goal: reduced energy use; optimized infrastructure to minimize operational costs and emissions; and increased carbon sequestration on university land.
Some aspects of the plan—like replacing old light bulbs with LEDs—are already underway.
Thompson says it will take many different activities and initiatives to achieve the ultimate goal, but in the end, the plan will make Northern Michigan University a good steward of the earth.
“Overall, it makes us a cleaner neighbor, a better community member and citizen of the planet.”
The carbon-neutral strategy is to reduce emissions by another 25 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, then eliminating remaining emissions by 2050. Thompson says the plan will be evaluated for its efficacy every two years.
The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees is making a commitment not to invest in any stand-alone fossil fuel investment endeavors and has agreed to increase sustainability-related investments by up to 15 percent.
The finalized plan can be viewed here.
