Second Nature is working concertedly for policy change to help colleges and universities achieve climate neutrality and provide broader leadership in sustainable solutions. Meeting the climate challenge requires public policies at all levels to encourage and reward renewable energy, innovative technologies, creative funding mechanisms, smart consumer choices, and advances in research and education. Breakthrough progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions-on a scale that is required to meet the planetary climate challenge-is impossible without policy change.

The hundreds of colleges and universities that are confronting the climate challenge are a powerful force for change. First, these institutions' practical experience in developing and implementing climate action plans serves as an early detection system to identify legal and regulatory barriers, outdated standards, unnecessary requirements, misdirected economic incentives and other institutional obstacles. Second, the well-informed and highly motivated individuals who are working to move colleges and universities towards sustain- ability represent a powerful force for broader policy change within our democratic system of government. Third, U.S. colleges and universities produce three million graduates a year, all of whom needs sufficient grounding in sustainability to prepare them to participate fully in the clean- energy economy as consumers, workers, business owners, investors and voters.

Commitment to Policy Change

As a nonprofit public interest organization, Second Nature advocates for policy changes that will drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance the goal of creating a healthy, just, and sustainable society.1 Higher education is an important leverage point to advance these goals. Second Nature is especially committed to securing policy changes that enable colleges and universities to play a leadership role in meeting the climate challenge.

To bring about vital policy changes, Second Nature is pursuing five reinforcing strategies:

1. Identify needed policy changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate higher education's leadership in sustainability.

2. Inform college and university presidents and other members of the higher education community about important policy issues related to sustainability by analyzing and highlighting key policy issues through a variety of means, including: convening experts to address key issues, developing white papers to focus discussion and debate, and disseminating information to practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders.

3. Issue periodic policy alerts to call to the attention of college and university presidents and other members of the higher education community timely opportunities to support important policy changes.

4. Build relationships with an ever-growing number of individuals at all levels in the higher education community-presidents, government relations liaisons, business officers, provosts, administrators, staff, faculty, students, and association staff-who are willing to actively support public policies that advance sustainability.

5. Educate, inform, and lobby federal policymakers in the executive and legislative branches on policy issues that are important to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing higher education's leadership in sustainability.

ACUPCC and Policy Issues

Advocacy for policy change for climate solutions is a central part of Second Nature's mission. In contrast, the ACUPCC is a network that brings together more than 645 colleges and universities that are committed to meeting the climate challenge. As a network, the ACUPCC does not generally advocate for specific policy changes. Second Nature's policy alerts provide the opportunity for college and university presidents, as well as other individuals and organizations involved in higher education, to decide what action to take individually to influence policy-makers or to otherwise engage in important public policy issues. To increase emphasis on public policy, the ACUPCC steering committee created a policy subcommittee to work with Second Nature staff, identify important policy issues, and encourage individual college and university presidents to engage more actively in the policy arena.

A Comprehensive Policy Agenda

To date, leaders in higher education have actively engaged in federal policy issues that directly relate to increased federal funding to help colleges and universities advance sustainability. Early successes have included authorization of the Department of Education's University Sustainability Program1 and Department of Energy loans and grants for energy retrofits of elementary, secondary and higher education facilities.2 Many leaders in higher education are working now to have these new programs funded as well as to have Congress dedicate one percent of the proceeds of federal cap-and-trade allowances to support a broad range of education activities to prepare American citizens to meet the challenges of climate change. Although increased federal funding to help colleges and universities provide leadership in sustainability is certainly important, this is only one thin slice of the public policy pie. Higher education leaders are in position to provide broader policy leadership in changing the forces that shape the role of research and education and in actually reducing- carbon emissions.

Building Pathways for Education Sustainability

Since college and university faculty ultimately determine the content of the curriculum, responsibility for ensuring that every graduate understands the principles of sustainability rests primarily with academic institutions themselves. At the same time, changes in external policies, programs, and accreditation criteria can encourage transdisciplinary learning and other curriculum and co-curriculum changes that embrace sustainability, including: