{"id":25081,"date":"2025-09-18T13:48:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T17:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/?post_type=story&p=25081"},"modified":"2025-09-19T14:57:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T18:57:03","slug":"all-action-is-local-clark-to-reestablish-sustainability-and-climate-committee","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/18\/all-action-is-local-clark-to-reestablish-sustainability-and-climate-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018All action is local\u2019: Clark to reestablish Sustainability and Climate Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Ruby Lichtman \u201927 and Zach Rutherford \u201927, members of the Clark Environmental Action student group e-board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark University has announced a major step toward ensuring the campus takes the necessary actions to assert its commitment to sustainability and stewardship of the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, at a tree-planting ceremony held to celebrate the launch of the School of Climate, Environment, and Society, President David Fithian announced the reestablishment of the Sustainability and Climate Committee. The committee will be composed of faculty, students, and staff, who will help guide the University\u2019s efforts to shape a strategic vision and action plan that will serve as a roadmap for achieving sustainability goals through its operations, academics, and community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe talk about all politics being local. Well, all action is also local,\u201d Fithian said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to take this first step.\u201d He noted that many Clarkies are deeply invested in contributing to campus sustainability strategies, especially as a University-wide collaboration. \u201cThe opportunities for partnerships around this are very exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dean
Dean Lou Leonard and President David Fithian speak with Clark students after planting a tree to celebrate the School of Climate, Environment, and Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The student-run Clark Environmental Action (CEA) organization was instrumental in pressing Clark to rethink its approach to sustainability \u201cright on this campus,\u201d said Lou Leonard, the D.J.A. Spencer Dean for the School of Climate, Environment, and Society. He added that Clark is also reestablishing the full-time position of director of sustainability to oversee University initiatives toward a greener campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to show the world that we care about these issues in a really intimate way,\u201d Leonard said. \u201cBringing back the committee, staffed by a new director of sustainability, will deliver the impact that we need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leonard then introduced Clark juniors Ruby Lichtman and Zach Rutherford, who serve on the CEA e-board, noting that \u201cstudents demanded us to be here and take this step.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lichtman said she and fellow CEA members expressed concerns \u2014 through panel discussions, conversations with administration and faculty, and via petition \u2014 that Clark \u201censure necessary actions are implemented effectively across the University,\u201d which would include consistent and transparent reporting on carbon emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutherford added that a number of colleges and universities have made commitments toward a decarbonized future but have taken little effective action toward achieving that goal. \u201cWe are convinced of Clark\u2019s ability to buck that trend,\u201d he insisted. \u201cThe momentum we\u2019re seeing from Clark students, faculty, and administration is no passing phase; instead, it\u2019s a turning point for environmental action.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clark University has announced a major step toward ensuring the campus takes the necessary actions to assert its commitment to sustainability and stewardship of the environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":25080,"template":"","meta":{"story_color":"var(--clarku-color-blue)","story_headerImg":25080,"section_label":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[223,241,239],"displayed_author":[235],"featured":[494],"topic":[131,134,528],"class_list":["post-25081","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clark-community","category-environment-sustainability","category-worcester-world","displayed_author-jim-keogh","featured-secondary","topic-climate-change","topic-school-of-climate-environment-and-society","topic-sustainability-and-climate-committee"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018All action is local\u2019: Clark to reestablish Sustainability and Climate Committee | ClarkU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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