Julie Newman, Ph.D. Sustainability Director Yale University

1. A regional approach to advancing the goals of the UNDESD: The Northeast (U.S) Campus Sustainability Coalition Julie Newman, Ph.D. Sustainability Director Yale University

2. Source: New Yorker

3. National context: Regional and state initiatives in the United States

4. US Partnership for the DESD The US Partnership is an inclusive, non-partisan, non-affiliated group of representatives from all sectors – higher education, K-12, business, faith communities, non-profits, government – serving as community-building conveners, catalysts and communicators for the Decade in the United States. www.uspartnership.org

5. Statewide sustainability consortiums in the United States • INDIANAIndiana Consortium for Education towards Sustainability (ICES) - http://www.ices.ws/ • MAINEGreen Campus Consortium of Maine -http://www.megreencampus.com/ • NEW JERSEYNew Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS) - http://www.njheps.org • PENNSYLVANIAPennsylvania Consortium for Interdisciplinary Environmental Policy (PCIEP) -http://www.paconsortium.state.pa.us/ • WASHINGTONWashington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education -www.evergree.edu/washcenter Founded in 1985, the Washington Center has 51 member campuses in all of Washington State

6. Regional Sustainability Consortiums in the United States NEW ENGLAND And EASTERN CANADIAN PROVINCESNortheast Campus Sustainability Coalition (NECSC)Geographic range: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Eastern THE SOUTH ($)Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) – Environmental Initiativewww.colleges.org/~enviro/Geographic Range - Contacts currently in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee. UPPER MIDWESTUpper Midwest Association For Campus Sustainability (UMACS) - www.umacs.orgGeographic Range – Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin and adjacent states to be added -3247 (office), 320-363-3300 (fax). WESTERN US & CANADA ($)www.efswest.orgEducation for a Sustainable Future WestGeographic Range – 14 states and 2 Canadian provinces

7. Northeast Campus Sustainability Coalition A regional commitment to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: 2005- 2015

8. Northeast Campus Sustainability Coalition- Creating a vision • What are common issues that we are all facing as a region? • How could this strengthen current efforts ie. campus, state and regional levels? • Would a NECSS include state agencies, businesses, NGO’s? What is their role? • What can we do collectively and what can be better done individually? • How/Can we set regional sustainable development goals? ie. climate, biodiversity, food systems

9. Potential points for collaboration • Institutional issues: • Sustainability management systems • Sustainability metrics • Institutional polices and standards • Governance structures • Successes and failures • Curriculum dev. Regional issues: • Climate change and greenhouse gas reduction goals • Loss of biodiversity • Sprawl and development • Regional transportation systems • Food systems

10. Northeast Campus Sustainability Coalition - Overview • NECSC was established in October 2004 and represents more than forty institutions of higher education from the northeast United States and Eastern Canadian Provinces.  • The NECSC pursues the goals of the UNDESD through integrated education efforts aimed at individuals and institutions at all levels education, with a particular emphasis on higher education.  • The NECSC responds to the UNDESD Implementation Plan’s call for efforts to focus on networks and alliances at the local, regional, national and international levels.

11. Northeast Campus Sustainability Coalition - Objectives • Foster a learning community of sustainability professionals, faculty and students that are committed to integrating sustainability principles into higher education institutions. • Create a process for universities in the Northeast United States to support and engage in the goals of the UNDESD. • Emphasize the importance of a regional approach to key sustainability issues including climate, food and biodiversity as well as its effectiveness in connecting individual and institutional efforts with national and international networks and alliances.

12. Northeast Campus Sustainability Coalition – Governance Structure ME - Bowdoin College (rep. MGCC) NH - University of New Hampshire & Keene State VT - Middlebury College (rep. VTGCC) MA - Harvard University & MIT RI – Brown University CT – Yale University (Chair) NJ – Rutgers University (rep.NJHEPS) NY – Skidmore College PA – Allegheny College ECP – Dalhousie University NGO’s & Gov’t rep. regional & int’l initiatives Regional – Clean Air – Cool Planet and EPA Nat’l/Int’l – University Leaders for a Sustainable Future + Eastern Canada

13. NECSC working groups • Regional indicators/metrics project • Grant writing/funding • Conference development

14. NECSC: Committed to the UNDESD Massachusetts ’05 Maine ‘06 Connecticut ‘07 New Jersey ‘08 Canada ‘09 Vermont ‘10 Pennsylvania ‘11 New York ‘12 Rhode Island ‘13 New Hampshire ‘14 **Annual gathering

15. Struggles…. • To what end? • Add on to our current responsibilities? Integrated? • Prioritizing objectives? • Measuring progress? • Leadership? • Institutional vs. individual commitment to process?

16. Collaborating at a global level? • What are common issues that we are all facing as a region? World? • How could this strengthen current efforts ie. campus, state and regional levels? International levels? • Would a NECSS include state agencies, businesses, NGO’s? What is their role? • What can we do collectively and what can be better done individually? • How can we respond to and advance the the UN Millennium Goals? And those of the UNDESD?