IV. SUNY Oswego and Energy Smart

• SUNY Oswego established the President's Climate Commitment and Environmental Sustainability Team in spring 2011, in line with our 2007 charter signatory commitment to the American College and University Presidents' (ACUP) Climate Commitment. We have been on target and on time with every required report and initiative.

• SUNY Oswego's Climate Action Plan (PDF, 552KB) calls for reducing carbon emissions through conservation and improved energy and transportation management and by gradually adopting renewable energy technologies. A wind turbine placed on top of Lee Hall in summer 2010 provides approximately 40,000-kilowatt hours of electricity a year.

• Climate Commitment Academic Steering Committee is developing new and revised curriculum related to sustainability.

• A new interdisciplinary sustainability minor is in the late development stage. Courses are already being lined up, including one being offered this fall in Ecuador.

• SUNY Oswego's newest residential complex, the Village on Glimmerglass Lagoon, opened in 2010. The U.S. Green Building Council certified the 68 units of the new residential community as meeting the "LEED Gold" rating under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes program. Our new sciences building should receive LEED Gold designation as well.

• SUNY Oswego's 2010 Energy and Sustainability Institute for Elementary Teachers helped approximately 25 teachers to deliver lessons of energy stewardship to hundreds of young schoolchildren.

• In April 2011, SUNY Oswego invited area vendors and local residents to its second Sustainability Fair showcasing green products and ideas. The college also sponsored a public roundtable on environmental sustainability issues and offered a weekly "citizen's academy" on sustainability at Oswego State Downtown, a storefront at the city's center. Science faculty took environmental issues to the local community with a "science café" series, featuring town hall and roundtable discussions on such topics as "The Energy Future of Our Community." Over 500 people attended in the last two years. Read more.

• The Innovation Trail Reporting Project emphasizes technology, innovation and green jobs for our economic future. SUNY Oswego's WRVO is one of five Upstate public broadcasting stations cooperating on the project through a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.