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Tufts Earns EPA's Climate Protection Award

Release Date: 05/10/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: Sheryl Rosner, EPA Office of Public Affairs, (617) 918-1865, [email protected]

For Immediate Release: May 10, 2005; Release # sr050502

BOSTON - At a ceremony at Tufts University today, President Lawrence S. Bacow was presented with the prestigious United States Environmental Protection Agency Climate Protection Award that honors the extraordinary accomplishments of individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to protecting the environment.

Tufts University's Climate Initiative (TCI) received the award as a nationally-recognized leader in the fight against climate change. Tufts is reducing its own emissions of climate altering gases by taking direct and measurable actions: a combination of renewable energy, energy efficiency, fuel-switching, and behavioral change. Tufts has nearly leveled university emissions despite growth in the number of campus buildings.

"The Tufts Climate Initiative is an exemplary program that moves global warming beyond a classroom topic and promotes practical actions to help solve this critical environmental problem. This, in EPA's view, represents the highest form of commitment to an educational mission," said Samuel Silverman, Deputy Director of EPA New England's Office of Environmental Stewardship. "Tufts is a flagship school in the fight against global warming, making wise energy investments that also save the University money on energy costs."

The Tufts Climate Initiative began on Earth Day 1999 as the brain-child of Professor William Moomaw of the Fletcher School and a member of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). With its launch, Tufts became the first institution of higher education nationally to commit to specific emission reduction goals. News of its actions spread, leading to similar commitments by other schools across the region and the U.S.

"Climate change is one of the most complex and important environmental issues of our time. At Tufts, we are trying to help address this problem through our teaching, scholarship and the management of our own resources. We are honored by the EPA's recognition of our efforts," Bacow noted.

In 1998, EPA established the Climate Protection Awards to recognize exceptional leadership, personal dedication, and technical achievements in protecting the Earth's climate. In its first eight years, 110 awards have been presented to individuals and organizations from 16 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. This year, 17 individuals and organizations earned the award by crafting international, national, state, and local policies; by reducing energy consumption; and by inventing technologies that protect the climate.

Tufts is among 95 New England colleges and universities that have formally committed to supporting specific greenhouse gas reduction targets and is a leader among schools supporting government actions on climate change, and in making campus activities and operations more environmentally sustainable.

For more information about EPA's Climate Protection Awards visit: https://www.epa.gov/cppd/awards/climproawards.htm