的 可持续发展中心 works to provide a place for the Agnes Scott community to learn about the challenges of global climate change and to collaborate on innovative solutions for sustainability both on and off-campus.
艾格尼丝·斯科特是美国学院的特许签署人 & 大学 总统的气候承诺 (acucc)，目前是气候承诺绿色学院. This means that since 2007 the college has been dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing members of the campus community with the tools they need to become advocates for sustainability. 的 college’s work is guided by a Climate Action Plan with the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2037. 截至2017-2018学年, 校园的碳足迹减少了30%, 目标是到2021-2022学年结束时减少50%.
的 work of the Center would not be possible without the full support of both the Agnes Scott community and the partners in Decatur and across metro Atlanta. 在校园, much of the sustainability work is shared with the Office of Facilities and the Center for Equity and 包容, 以及教授与可持续发展相关课程的教师. 这显示了可持续性的真正交叉性, 这也是中心聚集这么多学生的原因之一吗, 工作人员, 以及这所文理学院的教职员工.
以下是可持续发展中心目前关注的一些领域:
气候适应能力
在迪凯特市，艾格尼丝·斯科特将完成一个社区 气候适应计划 in 2020. 我们已被公认为美国唯一的大学之一.S. 制定一个涉及周边社区的计划. 我们的团队致力于确保所有的可持续发展项目, 包括气候适应计划, 有公平的结果. 该计划预期的具体公平成果包括广泛的社区投入, emergency response programs and facilities that are accessible across all income levels in Decatur, and specific energy efficiency and renewable energy programs that benefit the underserved population of the college community and of Decatur.
环境正义
-横跨校园, 学生, 工作人员 and faculty are leading efforts to ensure that communities of color and underserved communities have access to information about and assistance with solutions to environmental challenges, 包括气候变化. From hosting a conference on Women in 环境正义 to being an incubator for an energy-efficiency outreach program to working in energy-burdened neighborhoods, Agnes Scott is working to ensure that social justice is at the heart of every conversation about sustainability held on and off-campus.
绿色学院大楼
In 2008, the Agnes Scott Board of Trustees passed a resolution that all new construction and renovation on campus 必须达到LEED银级或更高的标准. This board guidance has been pivotal in the sustainability success of green building in renovation. 随着每次重大改造的设计和实施, 可持续性的所有方面都经过仔细考虑, 特别关注能源和水的效率. LEED，能源领导力 & 环境设计(Environmental Design)，是由美国建筑协会管理的绿色建筑认证项目.S. 认可同类最佳建筑策略和实践的绿色建筑委员会. 目前, 学院有三座leed认证的建筑:银奖校友之家, 坎贝尔·霍尔-金3和丽贝卡·霍尔-白金. 的 current campus building renovation project of Main Hall is expected to achieve LEED Silver or greater.
废物转移
的 college strives to attain zero waste (diverting 90 percent of the waste stream away from conventional landfills) by promoting waste reduction through reuse and repair as well as 通过循环再造和堆肥转移废物. One of the ways we work to reach this goal is through partnering with the Office of Facilities and the custodial 工作人员 to ensure the campus community is educated on what materials go where and why it is important. Another way we work to divert waste is through our partnership with the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials a local nonprofit that works to encourage reuse and divert thousands of pounds of hazardous waste, bulky trash and other hard-to-recycle items from metro-Atlanta landfills and water systems.
学生的参与
Student involvement is crucial to the success of the 可持续发展中心’s mission. 有实习机会, work-study and volunteer opportunities for 学生 in the Center with the student 工作人员 making up more than 50 percent of the Center 工作人员 in any given semester. Each student’s specific work in the Center will depend on the interests and needs of the student, 以及学院目前的需求. A few examples of innovative sustainability projects that have come from student work are a campus sustainable food purchasing policy, 被指定为美国蜜蜂校园, a green building video series using the LEED renovation of Rebekah Hall as a teaching tool and creation of a “healthy offices” program. In addition, annual greenhouse gas inventories have all been calculated by student interns.
以下是中心为学生提供的其他一些参与机会:
环境居民计划(ER) - This is a partnership program with the 可持续发展中心 and Residence Life where 学生 serve as ambassadors for sustainability within their residence halls and the campus community. 环保居民提倡环保生活, 在他们的生活空间里进行有意义的对话, 并规划交互式编程.
学生环保费基金 -This partnership with the Student Government Association enables Agnes Scott 学生 to address issues of sustainability with the support of both the 可持续发展中心 and the Center for 学生的参与. A student-led group guides the decisions on funding a variety of sustainability initiatives on campus, 包括学生组织的可持续发展活动, 可持续发展设备升级和小规模可持续发展研究项目.