Resolution on Green Initiatives

University of New Mexico Faculty Senate

Resolution to Invest in Green Initiatives

February 10, 2021

WHEREAS the 4th National Climate Assessment Volume II (NCA4), mandated by the US Congress and completed in November 2018, a comprehensive and authoritative report on climate change and its impacts in the United States https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/, finds that “climate change creates new risks and exacerbates existing vulnerabilities in communities across the United States, presenting growing challenges to human health and safety, quality of life, and the rate of economic growth”; and

WHEREAS the NCA4 finds that “Without substantial and sustained global mitigation and regional adaptation efforts, climate change is expected to cause growing losses to American infrastructure and property and impede the rate of economic growth over this century”; and

WHEREAS the NCA4 finds that “Climate change affects the natural, built, and social systems we rely on individually and through their connections to one another. These interconnected systems are increasingly vulnerable to cascading impacts that are often difficult to predict, threatening essential services within and beyond the Nation’s borders”; and

WHEREAS the NCA4 finds that “The quality and quantity of water available for use by people and ecosystems across the country are being affected by climate change, increasing risks and costs to agriculture, energy production, industry, recreation, and the environment”; and

WHEREAS the NCA4 finds that “Climate change increasingly threatens Indigenous communities’ livelihoods, economies, health, and cultural identities by disrupting interconnected social, physical, and ecological systems”; and

WHEREAS the NCA4 finds that “Ecosystems and the benefits they provide to society are being altered by climate change, and these impacts are projected to continue. Without substantial and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, transformative impacts on some ecosystems will occur; some coral reef and sea ice ecosystems are already experiencing such transformational changes”; therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the faculty senate requests that the President and the Board of Regents at the University of New Mexico partner with other institutions of higher education across the state to directly support companies involved in fossil fuel extraction and production that seek to transition to alternate business models; and further be it2

RESOLVED that the faculty senate requests that the VP for Finance and Administration head a taskforce to develop a comprehensive clean energy plan for the University of New Mexico. The taskforce will develop a plan as soon as possible but complete it no later than the end of 2022 to reduce the university’s carbon footprint1; and further be it

RESOLVED that the University of New Mexico discontinue burning fossil fuel, by 2035, for the purpose of the production of utility electrical power, district heating, and district cooling; and further be it

RESOLVED that the University of New Mexico establish a plan for all campuses to reach carbon neutrality2 by 2030 and zero carbon3 by 2040; and further be it

RESOLVED that the University of New Mexico commit immediately to discontinue the purchase of vehicles (including buses and shuttles) that emit greenhouse gases; and further be it

RESOLVED that the University of New Mexico commit to invest in additional charging stations for electric vehicles in public parking lots by end of 2022; and further be it

RESOLVED that the faculty senate requests that the VP for Finance and Administration head a taskforce (including faculty members and at least one staff member and one student) to develop a comprehensive campus sustainability plan for the University of New Mexico. The taskforce will begin to develop a plan as soon as possible but no later than 2022 to reduce the university’s environmental impact; and further be it

RESOLVED that the University of New Mexico request that UNM vendors and catering commit to zero waste4 operations by 2025. 1 In this context the carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of carbon dioxide and methane emitted by the University, considering all relevant sources, sinks and storage on its landed property, calculated as carbon dioxide equivalent using the relevant 100-year global warming potential (GWP100). 2 Zero-net carbon emissions; carbon offset mechanisms can be used to achieve neutrality. 3 Zero carbon in this context is referring to an elimination of carbon released from fossil fuels from power, heating, and cooling. 4 Zero waste is defined by the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) as “efforts to reduce Solid Waste generation waste to nothing, or as close to nothing as possible, by minimizing excess consumption and maximizing the recovery of Solid Wastes through Recycling and Composting”

Files