Should Higher Education Go Carbon Neutral Examining Forest Carbon Sequestration Alex French, M.S....

Should Higher Education Go Carbon NeutralExamining Forest Carbon SequestrationAlex French, M.S. Candidate Environmental PolicyAdvisors: Dr. Stephen Bird, Dr. Susan Powers

American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment

• 684 Signatories

• Develop Climate Action Plans

• Complete tangible actions: including offsetting airfare

To Reach Climate Neutrality

Step 1: Reduce Emissions

Step 2: Offset Remaining Emissions

• Developing offset projects themselves • Investing directly in

offset projects • Purchasing credits

generated from offset projects

ACUPCC Offset Protocols• Additional• Transparent• Measurable• Permanent• Verified• Synchronous• Accounts for

Leakage• Registered• Not double-

counted• Retired

Forest Carbon

Formally Carbon Neutral?

Goals and Objectives

• Research Higher Education Involvement

• Explore if protocols are in line with schools’ preferences

• Compare developing an education-based project to purchasing certified offsets

Methods

• Case Studies• Survey to Sustainability

Coordinators• Based on case studies

results• 99 schools participated

Research Questions

• What perceptions does higher education have? • Preferences / Benefits?• Barriers? • What model might

encourage involvement?

CASE STUDIES OF EXISTING PROGRAMS

Case Studies• University of Georgia: Costa Rica campus• Sewanee University• San Diego State University• Colgate University• Michigan State University• University of Florida at Gainseville• SUNY ESF• Presence Learning Village

University of Georgia• Reforestation in Costa Rica• Experiential education and research focused• Student fee financed• Not-certified: students measure, report, and verify• Many “soft benefits” • Does not comply with ACUPCC protocols

San Diego State University Model

• Environmental event is carbon neutral • Offsets against attendee travel• Compliance with ACUPCC protocols• Purchase offsets from Conservation Fund

Upper Ouachita Nat’l Wildlife Refuge

Survey to Sustainability CoordinatorsBased on Case Studies • 99 Completed Surveys • 83 AASHE members• 65 ACUPCC signatories

Questions• Perceptions• Benefits / Preferences• Barriers• Models

PERCEPTIONS

Offsets are Critical

Offsets not fraudulent

Carbon is undervalued

Justify more pollution

Greenwashing

Monocultures are effective

0 1 2 3 4 5

Perceptions of Carbon Markets

Average on 5-Point Likert

Not Important Neutral Comply0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

4%22%

74%

Protocols Should Comply With Peer Groups (ACUPCC/AASHE)

Perception

Perc

enta

ge o

f Sch

ools

BENEFITS / PREFERENCES

Progra

m Cost

Certifica

tion

Education

Socia

l

Ecologic

al Benefits

Carbon Se

questrati

on

32%

13%19%

10% 10%16%

Weights of Program Attributes

Educational Bene-fits

61%

Certification Bene-fits

23%

Equal Benefits16%

Education Vs. Certification: Constant Sum Results

BARRIERS TO INVESTMENT

Prefer other forms of offsets

Uncertain of best way to enter market

Inadequate Funding

Lack of interest

Skepticism of market

Not relevant to mission/vision

Complicated Administrative Requirements

Other barriers

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Barriers to Market Entry

Schools Facing Barriers

Internal Verification Neutral Third Party Verification0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Preference for Internal Vs. External Verification

Num

ber o

f Sch

ools

Certifica

tion

Progra

m Cost

Education

Socia

l

Ecologic

al

Carbon

05

10152025303540

Attributes for Schools with Prefer-ences for Internal or External Veri-

fication

Internal External

Perc

enta

ge o

f Sig

nific

ance

Internal vs. External VerificationPreference for

Third Party Verification

Barrier: Interest in Producing or

Purchasing Forest Carbon

Not interested**

Formal Carbon Market is Critical

to Addressing Climate?

Agree***

** p < .05; *** p < .01

Sewanee - Educa-tion Model

68%

Formal Certified Model

25%

Undecided7%

Education vs. Certification Models in Context

The following describes two “real world” carbon offset projects. Please indicate your preference for one of the models…

Pay Plant71%

Pay Third Party Verification

21%

Undecided8%

Additionality vs. Registration

Imagine your university would like to develop a carbon-offset program... With the resources available from the university you can only afford one of the two options. Please select the best option:

Discussion

• Is certification important for higher education? • Dr. Quint Newcomer’s analogy

• Additionality? • “Without the investment in developing a new nursery, no new

carbon would be sequestered.” Dr. Quint Newcomer

• Do these finding apply to other offsets?• Yale Community Carbon Fund

Conclusions• Schools that want forest carbon want to work outside the

formal market• Peer protocols should be updated• Third party verification:• Is a barrier due to increased program costs.• does not increase transparency or additionality

Getting the most out of Carbon Neutrality

• Take risks - Universities are not multi-national corporations!

• Invest in research, teaching, and outreach

• Develop unique, cost-effective projects

Imagine

• 684 developing projects• Sharing data• “Learning by doing”• Training a workforce