by Brianna Crandall — October 9, 2015—Second Nature, a national nonprofit that works to build a sustainable and positive global future through collaboration with leadership networks in higher education, in partnership with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), announced yesterday that two academic institutions have been selected to receive the sixth annual Climate Leadership Awards.
The awards recognize innovative and advanced leadership in sustainability, climate change mitigation and resilience at college and university campuses that participate in Second Nature’s Climate Commitments. This year’s recipients were praised for showing leadership through practices, partnerships and initiatives designed to tackle some of the greatest modern challenges.
Examples of commitments made by these institutions include ongoing pursuit of green building practices, the development of a campus culture that embraces local sourcing, alternative transportation methods, innovative partnerships with their surrounding communities, and cultivation of a sense of individual responsibility among students, faculty and staff.
According to the organizers, this year marks the most competitive year yet, with close to 50 institutions vying for only two awards. The winners were chosen from a pool of 19 finalists, which are listed on the award Web site.
“By choosing to address sustainability issues head-on, involving members of their broad communities and drawing on their resources as places of higher learning, these schools show that great achievement is possible with dedication and a willingness to innovate and iterate,” said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC. Congratulations to both of this year’s winners for so clearly demonstrating that where we learn matters!”
The 2015 Climate Leadership Award winners are:
- Two-Year Institution: Western Technical College, La Crosse, WI
- Four-Year Institution: Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
Award winners will be recognized as part of the 2015 USGBC Leadership Awards luncheon at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo on November 19 in Washington, DC.
