UNH ENERGY TASK FORCE (ETF)
As a Climate Protection Campus, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is committed to reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases, improving energy efficiency and conservation, and educating students, faculty, and staff about the relationship between energy choices and costs, climate change, and our economic and social well-being. UNH meets these commitments through its Climate Education Initiative (CEI), which is actively engaging the University community in climate change education and emissions reduction efforts across the CORE (curriculum, operations, research, and engagement) of the University’s functions.
To this end, in the fall of 2005, then UNH President Ann Weaver Hart announced the formation of the UNH Energy Task Force (ETF) – the primarily operations-focused component of CEI. Chaired by the Vice President for Research and coordinated by the UNH University Office of Sustainability (UOS) and the UNH Energy Office, the ETF has faculty, administrative, staff, and both undergraduate and graduate student members from a wide variety of departments and offices across campus.
In February of 2007, Interim President J. Bonnie Newman signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (PCC) pledging to take immediate actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to develop a plan to move the University towards carbon neutrality as soon as possible. Through the guiding framework of CEI, the ETF is charged with taking the actions necessary to implement the PCC.
In particular, the ETF is charged with:
- Developing timelines, targets, and action items under a UNH Climate Action Plan to help UNH meet the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (PCC) and its stated goal of moving towards carbon neutrality.
- Developing immediate and future actions to reduce energy costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy conservation through technological improvements, increases in efficiency, reductions in waste, and selection of fuels at the Durham campus.
- Inventorying and promoting curricular, research, and engagement/outreach programs intended to increase awareness of and behaviors around energy use, efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change.