| Step 4: Implementing the Plan |
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Implementing the Climate Action Plan in actuality is not one step, but more of an iterative process of planning, doing, assessing effectiveness, and beginning the process anew in a series of cycles that brings the institution ever closer to its carbon reduction goal. Institutions that are successfully carrying out climate action plans exhibit commonalities among them that help them reach their goals. In every case, climate action plans are managed by a group or individual designated responsible for this task with the full support of administrative leaders. Support for climate action planning and implementation begins with top leadership and is imperative for work to be carried forward. Of course, administrative support is often requested and gained through activities carried out directly by students and staff. Among the first steps to take, policy is a major tool used to implement climate action plans. Reducing or eliminating carbon emissions requires whole-scale shifts in the way an institution runs its day-to-day operations. "Business-as-usual" procedures must be completely re-vamped to support sustainable energy use in campus operations. Any successful climate action plan takes into account and plans for ways to fund its projects. Capital investment ensures that money is available to fund the changes necessary-in buildings, transportation systems, property, and curricula-that speed the campus toward carbon neutrality. The good news is that, more often than not, lowering an institution's emissions also increases energy efficiency and lowers operating costs, resulting in a win-win scenario for both the institution and the environment. A successful Climate Action Plan initiates programs that not only directly affect carbon emissions, like switching to renewable energy sources, but also programs that serve to change how people use energy. Behavior change can be difficult to achieve through implementation of a climate action plan, yet campus carbon neutrality cannot occur without it. Climate action plans need to include programs that educate and inform students, staff, and administrators about how their actions can lower carbon emissions and why it is important to do so. Many campuses may find that the hardest part of climate neutrality work is simply to get started. Day to day, it may appear as though little progress is being made. However, over time, the foundations of an institution's climate neutrality plan, carefully laid from the beginning, can serve to make ongoing work easier. Prioritizing projects, setting benchmarks and establishing accountability, laying the groundwork for ease of future inventorying-all help an institution to stay on track toward carbon neutrality. |
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