Chancellor King Announces SUNY’s Draft Climate and Sustainability Action Plan and Encourages Comments
September 25, 2024
Developed With Campus-Led Work Group, Plan Aims to Achieve Net-Zero SUNY-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Zero Waste
Plan Focuses on Facilities and Operations, Doubling Climate Research, Strengthening Climate Education, and Increasing Green Workforce Development
New York, NY – Today, during New York City's Climate Week, State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. invited public comment on SUNY's draft Climate and Sustainability Action Plan—aimed to achieve net-zero SUNY-wide greenhouse gas emissions and zero waste in line with Governor Kathy Hochul's clean energy goals. The plan details the university system's actions in areas including institutional commitment, education, research, workforce, facilities, operations, and inclusion. The full report and intake for comments is available here. Following the comment period, the recommendations will be brought to the SUNY Board of Trustees for consideration.
"SUNY's commitment to climate action and sustainability is embodied in our operations, our academic excellence, and our research leadership," said SUNY Chancellor King, who delivered remarks earlier today at the New York Climate Exchange Inaugural Climate Tech Showcase. "This Climate Week, we look forward to celebrating the climate accomplishments we've made across our campuses thus far and the work that is yet to come as we lead the way into a climate responsible future. This would not be possible without the leadership and support of our Chief Sustainability Officer, the Sustainability Advisory Council, and the campus leaders who created the draft Sustainability Action Plan that will guide the decades-long efforts to achieve net-zero emissions."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "During Climate Week and every week, SUNY is proud to work with other sustainability leaders to meet our clean energy goals. The draft Sustainability Action Plan, as presented to the SUNY Board of Trustees and unveiled this week, was developed by faculty, staff, students, and community members across the state with a range of expertise and a shared passion to protect our planet, and we look forward to reviewing comments from every concerned party. Together we will plant the seeds of a cleaner future, where generations of New Yorkers can thrive."
The draft Climate and Sustainability Action Plan includes recommendations in seven strategic areas:
- Institutional Commitment to Climate and Sustainability Action
- Education about Climate Change and its Impacts
- Research for Climate Solutions
- Green Workforce Development
- Clean Energy Powered Facilities
- Sustainable Operations
- Inclusive Engagement and Climate Justice
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said, "Although this is Climate Week in New York, it is important to note that our State has made a commitment to being one of our nation's leaders in combating climate change all year. SUNY is spearheading the charge with their draft Sustainability Action Plan that lays out an ambitious goal of achieving net-zero SUNY-wide greenhouse gas emissions and zero waste. I applaud them for their efforts and encourage all New Yorkers to review the plan and share their opinions on how we can build a brighter, greener future."
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, Chair of the Assembly's Standing Committee on Higher Education, said, "SUNY has helped lead New York's clean energy transition with strong commitments to electrification, renewable energy, and sustainability. Today's draft report outlines a key and clear responsibility that SUNY and New York State has moving forward — to meet its ambitious climate and energy mandates laid out in the CLCPA. I applaud Chancellor King and the Sustainability Advisory Council for ensuring that SUNY — who operates just under half of all state-owned buildings — continues to set an example of how we can responsibly and boldly chart a path forward to collectively combatting the transcendent threat of our time — the climate crisis."
Assemblymember Anna R. Kelles said, "Achieving our sustainability goals cannot happen without actionable and achievable plans to execute and help move us toward our state's climate goals. With 40% of the state's buildings sited on its campuses, SUNY is well positioned to be a strong partner in our fight to generate green jobs, reduce our carbon footprint, and create a more sustainable New York. We simply cannot reach our climate goals without both the active participation of higher ed and the support from all branches of state government to assist SUNY in reaching their climate goals. I am proud to join with Chancellor King and Chief Sustainability Officer Strickland to implement this plan and work toward a Greener SUNY."
SUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle said, "It has been a privilege to serve as co-chair, along with my colleague President Joanie Mahoney, of the team that developed the SUNY Climate and Sustainability Action Plan. This collaborative effort is so powerful because it builds on the hard work of our campuses and bolsters these efforts with SUNY's commitment to addressing the climate crisis comprehensively. Here at SUNY Oneonta, as well as across all SUNY campuses, we stand in a unique position to integrate sustainability into our education, research, and operations—all meaningful steps toward a more resilient and sustainable future for New York and beyond."
SUNY ESF President Joanie Mahoney said, "The work this advisory council is doing is a testament to the respect we must pay to all approaches toward sustainability. This draft lays out a clear set of goals and actions for investing in climate and sustainability programs. The work could not have been done without broad SUNY partnerships, and enacting both the goals and actions is our next important task."
President of the New York League of Conservation Voters Julie Tighe said, "SUNY's sustainable action plan is exactly the kind of forward-thinking initiative we need to hasten the state's transition to a clean energy economy, because when large, respected institutions like SUNY act, others follow. The climate crisis requires nothing short of an all-hands-on-deck response, and we applaud Chancellor John B. King Jr. and Chief Sustainability Officer Carter Strickland for their leadership and for helping move New York toward a more sustainable future."
SUNY operates 40% of all New York State owned buildings, and while its footprint has grown in total square footage, SUNY's overall greenhouse gas emissions from direct and indirect use of fuel and electricity has decreased by more than 36% from 1990 to 2023, as measured by international standards. The SUNY system is committed to achieving net-zero SUNY-wide greenhouse gas emissions from fuel and electricity. SUNY has built 49 renewable energy installations that generate 33,000 MWH a year. With strict internal building standards, SUNY has seen a 13% reduction in energy use from 2015 to 2023, installed 308 chargers, and converted 10% of its light-duty fleet to electric vehicles.
Chancellor King convened a 53-person SUNY Sustainability Advisory Council representing 29 separate community colleges, technical colleges, comprehensive colleges, and research universities. The draft report is spearheaded by the university system's Sustainability Advisory Council, which is co-chaired by Alberto Cardelle, President of SUNY Oneonta and Joanie Mahoney, President of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The Council also includes members of the SUNY Board of Trustees, campus faculty, administration, sustainability leaders, students, alums, and system administration staff.
Governor Hochul appointed Chancellor King to the State Energy Planning Board chaired by the President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and comprised of the heads of state agencies and authorities, appointees from the Governor, Senate, and Assembly, and the president of the New York Independent System Operator. The Board will update New York's comprehensive roadmap to build a clean, resilient, and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers.
About The SUNY Sustainability Advisory Council
To meet those demands, the SUNY Sustainability Advisory Council will harness the diverse clean-energy programs throughout SUNY campuses and support students throughout their education with applied learning experiences linked to real-world career opportunities (e.g., internships and post-program job placement opportunities with municipalities, union partners, and local businesses). SUNY has an existing number of academic and hands-on training programs that lead to high-paying jobs in the state's growing clean-energy sector. The Sustainability Advisory Council will create educational and career pathways for workers statewide in clean-energy fields. The advisory council will work in conjunction with SUNY's Offshore Wind Training Institute—a collaboration between Farmingdale State College and Stony Brook University—that is projected to train 2,500 workers and provide training and retraining opportunities for all key planks of the clean-energy sector. SUNY System Administration will coordinate ongoing clean-energy market research and technologies through the Rockefeller Institute for Government and NY Small Business Development Center to strengthen and prepare for emerging academic and workforce training demands.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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