Two Task Forces on Campus Sustainability Announced

The following was sent to the campus community on Nov. 1.

We would like to announce the formation of two task forces to advance sustainability efforts on campus. The first is a Climate Resilience Task Force and the second is a Carbon Mitigation Task Force.

The Climate Resilience Task Force will conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure. This will lead to the development of a fully integrated, innovative, and actionable hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plan.

The Carbon Mitigation Task Force will extend our current 2014 comprehensive campus energy plan by analyzing the energy and emissions impacts of sustainability efforts and capital development on the campus. The goal is to explore mitigation strategies, procurement initiatives, and green technologies that can contribute to universities’ long-term sustainability goals.

We are pleased that Jeffrey Hescock, executive director of Environmental Health and Safety and Emergency Management, and Elisabeth Hamin, professor of landscape architecture and regional planning, have agreed to chair the Climate Resilience Task Force; and that Ezra Small, campus sustainability manager, and Dwayne Breger, extension professor in Environmental Conservation and director of Clean Energy Extension, have agreed to chair the Carbon Mitigation Task Force. We especially look forward to the participation of students from across the campus as we tackle these important challenges for our campus and the Commonwealth.

—Kumble R. Subbaswamy, Chancellor

—Steve Goodwin, Deputy chancellor