Office of Sustainability

Enhancing Educational Experiences within the Office of the Dean of the College

Get Excited for Earth Week!

Earth Week 2022 will be taking place the first week of Block 8 (April 24-30). The Office of Sustainability, along with other campus groups, will be hosting programming every day of the week to celebrate our planet by committing to take meaningful action. Events include: the Linneman Lecture, this year focused on agriculture and food systems; tree planting in honor of Arbor Day; a gear exchange with Outdoor Education; a chance to get down and dirty with our garbage through the return of Trash Peak; a Fountain Creek cleanup opportunity; and more. Learn more about each event here, and stay tuned for announcements regarding time/location and more events.

We’re Hiring! Apply Now for Internship Openings

The Office of Sustainability is hiring interns for this summer and the upcoming academic year! Interns get the opportunity to work on both independent and collaborative projects to bring awareness to sustainability issues on campus. The office is hiring for six different internships focused on topics including emissions, campus programming and engagement, communications, and waste. Learn more and see specific positions here, and apply now on Handshake.

Applications close April 8 at 11:55 p.m.

Annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory Technical Report

This year’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory Technical Report is now available to the CC community. Completed by the Greenhouse Gas Team (headed by intern Natalie Cross ’22), this is the first report in which the school was operating at carbon neutral for the entirety of the fiscal year. Along with data for total emissions by fiscal year, the report outlines emissions from different scopes (categories) and how emissions from these scopes have changed since data was first collected. The report also focuses on CC’s efforts toward carbon neutrality through the use of offsets, and it ends with suggested goals and recommendations for future reductions of emissions. Learn more about and read the full report here.

Staff and Faculty — Celebrate Bike to Work Day!

Food, music, and prizes! Join the Office of Sustainability for the Colorado College Bike to Work Day, Friday, May 6, 2022. Ride your own bike or borrow one from CC. Food and raffle will run from 7-9:30 a.m. outside of Worner Campus Center.

Tune your bike, rent a bike from CC, and plan your route during one of our pre-event clinics. Clinics will take place at the Outdoor Education Center April 28, May 3, and May 5. Keep an eye out for more updates on our Instagram (@ccsustainability) and the CC Digest.

Check Out the CC Pantry Exchange

Have you visited the CC Pantry Exchange yet? Both spaces are open for business in the former mailroom in Worner Campus Center.

CC Pantry
Campus Activities, supported by CCSGA, invites students weekly to pick up shelf-stable meals and snacks, fresh and frozen fruits and veggies, and hygiene products. Students with a need for these items can register for a time slot. The CC Food Pantry is open every Thursday 2-4 p.m., including all school breaks. Email awerkmeister@coloradocollege.edu with any questions.

CC Exchange
CC Exchange is a designated hub for students to donate gently used clothing items and pick out something new, extending the life cycle of garments and keeping them out of the landfill. No purchase or donation is required to ‘shop’. CC Exchange is open Thursdays (first, second, and third week) 2-4 p.m.

Learn more about both resources at the Worner Campus Center Open House on April 11, 1-4 p.m.

Students browse at the CC Exchange

Updated Office of Sustainability Goals

The Office of Sustainability is pleased to share our updated internal office goals. These five key goals will help to focus projects on areas of current highest priority based on feasible implementation and impact:

Reduce Scope 1 emissions by an additional 25% from the 2008 baseline by 2030 through continuing efficiency upgrades, beginning to transition the vehicle fleet to electric vehicles, and investigating implementation of an internal carbon tax
Reducde Scope 3 emissions by an additional 25% from the 2008 baseline by 2027 through programs such as carbon taxes and voluntary offsets, as well as working to shift the overall transportation culture at CC.
Reduce waste generation on campus by 75% per user from baseline
Increase waste diversion rate from 48% to 75% by 2030 through implementation of programs such as E-waste collection, CC Pantry Exchange, and further developing waste infrastructure and education.
Increase involvement by supporting student groups and working to build relationships with local and state governments.
We are excited to share these goals with the campus community so we can continue work toward a more sustainable CC together.

IPCC Report Update

The latest installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report — titled Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability — has been released. This section assesses the impacts of climate change on both the land and human populations, as well as the associated risks. Additionally, this piece investigates feasible and effective adaptation measures in combination with a capacity of both human and non-human populations for change. Click here to learn more.