University of Houston-Victoria President Commits to ‘Climate Neutral’ Campus
On Aug. 22, University of Houston-Victoria President Tim Hudson committed to sharply reducing and eventually eliminating all of the university’s global warming emissions and accelerating the research and educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.
The pledge came with Hudson’s signing of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, joining the leaders of 347 other institutions across the country. He is the first president of a public university in Texas to make this commitment. Hudson has also become a charter signatory of this effort by committing before the Sept.15 deadline.
“Global warming is among the defining challenges of our time,” said Hudson. “Human activities contribute heavily to this problem. By working together, by drawing attention to the matter and by being intentional in our actions vis a vis our environment, we have the capacity to become part of the solution. That means taking serious action today to mitigate the impact of our activities and standard behaviors on pollution. After consulting with the UHV cabinet, which represents all key members of our leaning community, and discussing the matter with our physical plant specialists, I know that UHV is committed to leading the way.”
Hudson, whose academic background is in geography and who has spent considerable time in the developing world where environmental problems are rife, said the university will create a comprehensive institutional action plan to move towards climate neutrality. For instance, it will begin to study and, where possible, implement aspects of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building program.
The LEED building program is the nationally accepted standard for the design, construction, and operation of “green buildings.”
The Presidents Climate Commitment is the first such effort by any major sector of society to set climate neutrality as its target. This undertaking by America’s colleges and universities is inspired by efforts like the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership and other collective efforts by states and businesses.
"Colleges and universities must lead the effort to reverse global warming for the health and well-being of current and future generations," said Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University and a founding member of the ACUPCC Leadership Circle. "On behalf of all the signatories, I welcome Dr. Tim Hudson to this commitment; we are honored and pleased to have him join us."
The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.
Under the guidance and direction of the Leadership Circle of presidents, the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is being supported and implemented by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Second Nature, and ecoAmerica.
For more information about ACUPCC, please visit www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
