Climate Action

On this page, you will find:

• A Brief Sustainability Timeline at SU
• SU's Climate Commitment
• Climate Action Plan (2010)
• Reducing SU's Carbon Footprint 2009-2019
• Carbon Offset Purchasing (2022)
• Divestment at SU
• How You Can Reduce Your Footprint

A Brief Sustainability Timeline at SU

SU's Climate Commitment

In 2007, Seattle University became a charter signatory of the American College & University President's Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). We believe that higher education must educate students and conduct research to develop the social, environmental, economic and technological solutions to reverse global climate change and lead by example to reduce our campus’ emissions.  

The ACUPCC Commitment required signatories to: 

• Establish an institutional structure 
• Complete an Emissions inventory within a year and annually thereafter 
• Establishing a climate neutrality action plan setting a target date and interim milestones for achieving climate neutrality 
• Take immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 
• Integrate sustainability into the curriculum
• Make the climate action plan, inventory and progress reports publicly available

See the ACUPCC Implementation Guide here. 

Climate Action Plan (2010)

In 2010, Seattle University created a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to further deepen and strengthen its commitment to sustainability. The CAP describes the university’s intentions to more comprehensively address climate change and advance sustainability and sets the following four goals:

In 2011, The President’s Committee for Sustainability (PCS) was convened to oversee: 

• The implementation of Seattle University's Climate Action Plan 
• The integration of sustainability initiatives across the Seattle University community 

See Climate Action Plan here.

Reducing SU’s Carbon Footprint 

Seattle University has committed to work towards carbon neutrality or zero Greenhouse Gas emissions. SU’s initial Climate Action Plan was to reduce emissions by at least 12% by 2020 and by at least 51% by 2035 from the baseline year 2009. We achieved our 2020 goal earlier than planned, and by fiscal year 2019, SU’s greenhouse gas net emissions were 15,990 metric tons or a 19.0% reduction since 2009.

The reduction can be attributed to investments in new campus infrastructure, a decrease in natural gas consumption as well as reductions in single-occupant vehicle commuting and air travel by SU employees and students.

Download the Carbon Footprint Reduction Infographic (2022) here.

Carbon Offsets Purchasing (2022)

Learn about carbon offsets here.

For a brief overview of SU's carbon offsets purchasing, see this SU today article.

While the university is committed to reducing emissions through on-campus projects and programs, it recognizes that the need for climate action is urgent and SU will be unable to reduce 100% of its emissions through its own actions. In 2019, CEJS and the PCS created “A Climate Positive Campus” which describes how carbon offsets are a necessary tool to ensure that SU meets its existing climate commitment by the target dates.

In 2022, a PCS carbon offset committee evaluated the use of high-quality offsets as a supplemental strategy for achieving climate neutrality. The committee recommended that the University purchase third-party-verified offset projects that provide significant social, environmental, and economic benefits to communities that go beyond the benefits of GHG reductions while offering significant academic benefits to the Seattle University community and are in accordance with Laudato Si’s call for Integral Ecology and protecting creation and SU's Jesuit mission of academic excellence, sustainability, and empowering leaders for a just and humane world.

*SDG = United Nations Sustainable Development Goal

While the carbon offset committee has supported carbon offsets as a reasonable, short-term approach to the University’s Scope 1 emissions as we develop longer term solutions and seek to address Scope 3 emissions, the committee made the following recommendations:

1. Establish a target date for achieving carbon neutrality that is no later than 2030. 
2. Develop a plan in FY23 to reduce our annual Scope 1 emissions to zero by eliminating the use of natural gas, gasoline, and diesel fuel by our campus operations.
3. Develop a plan in FY23 to address our Scope 3 emissions. 
4. Update the university’s carbon offset portfolio between September and February each fiscal year and select projects that have co-benefits and meet VCS or GOLD Standard criteria.

See the Carbon Offset Portfolio Proposal (2022) here.

Divestment at SU

SeattleU was the first Jesuit university in the world to commit to full fossil fuel divestment. In 2018, Seattle University's (SU) Board of trustees voted to divest from fossil fuels with goals to, "by June 30, 2023, fully divest the marketable portion of the endowment from any investments in companies owning fossil fuel reserves,” and “to achieve a 50 percent reduction by December 31, 2020.” In March 2020, the 50% reduction was reached, nine months ahead of schedule. By June 30, 2023, SU should be fully divested from fossil fuels. To learn more about divestment, SU's process and divestment timeline, and see the Divestment Case Study Webpage here.

How You Can Reduce Your Footprint

Want to reduce your own carbon footprint? Learn more at our Sustainable Living and Sustainable Living on Campus pages! Also check out the “Small Business Climate Impact Guide,” created by SU graduate students from the Albers School of Business and Economics to support businesses with the implementation of step-by-step strategies to lower their greenhouse gas emissions.