SCUP

Dealing with Climate Change

The biggest challenge of our lifetimes is here. Colleges and universities need to prepare for the effects of climate change, but we’re not just passive victims of circumstance. Higher education is also an active agent for change, finding new ways to reduce atmospheric carbon, mitigate climate change’s consequences, and design more energy-efficient buildings. With integrated planning, with conversations, collaborations, and strategic initiatives, we can literally save the world … together.

 

 

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PLANNING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION JOURNAL
Campus Energy Master Planning: A Road Map to Carbon-Neutral Institutions in Northern U.S. Latitudes

The built environment is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This article provides specific strategies you can use to evolve your campus toward carbon neutrality.

 

Build Your Culture of Integrated Planning Through Hands-On Learning

Planning Institute Workshop Series
SCUP’s PI workshop series will help you and your team no matter where you are in the planning process. Learn more about the PI.

Integrated Planning Coaching
Get quick, timely problem-solving advice from planning experts with boots-on-the-ground experience. We’re here to help support your institution. Let’s talk! Get in touch.

Related Learning Resources

Report

The 2024 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI)

 The 2024 Sustainable Campus Index (SCI) recognizes top-performing colleges and universities by country, institution type, and in 17 sustainability impact areas, as measured by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). Used by hundreds of colleges and universities, STARS helps institutions measure, report and strengthen their contributions to global sustainability. An Institutional Highlights section recognizes high-impact projects and initiatives.
Planning for Higher Education Journal

Campus Energy Master Planning

 Higher education institutions can lead the way in reducing energy consumption and advancing carbon neutrality by starting with their on-campus facilities.
Planning for Higher Education Journal

The State of Campus Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate

 Although colleges and universities recognize key vulnerabilities, most have just recently started thinking about resilience issues and have only implemented minimal resilience measures.
Planning for Higher Education Journal

Preparing and Adapting Our Campuses for the Effects of Climate Change

 While some of us are making the case for greening our campuses by reducing our carbon footprint, a parallel front should be presenting the potential and very real impacts that climate change will have on our campuses.
Planning for Higher Education Journal

Integrating Resilience Planning into University Campus Planning

 Incorporating resilience planning into the campus planning process provides an opportunity to engage key stakeholders to address a campus’s vulnerabilities, align resilience-related investments with the broad campus vision, and ensure the long-term viability of the institution.
Conference Presentations

Risk Management and Campus Resilience

 With climate change bringing dramatic demographic, economic, and weather changes, universities and colleges must be prepared for risks to the campus's buildings, landscapes, and infrastructure that could disrupt operations. This session explores the intertwined concepts of risk management and resilience planning.
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Conferences, Courses, and Workshops of Interest

Webinar

Approaches to Emissions Reduction: Sustainability Planning Across Institutions

 October 15, 2025
Online | 1:00–2:00 PM Eastern | Free
Community Conversation

Community Conversation: Embedding Sustainability in Institutional Planning

 October 30, 2025
Online | 1:00 - 2:00 PM Eastern
SEE ALL RELATED CONFERENCES AND PROGRAMS
RELATED PLANNING TYPES
Sustainability PlanningCampus PlanningResource Planning
Have content you’d like to share?
Contact:
Sadie Wutka
Director, Content Development
sadie.wutka@scup.org
734.669.3293