The CJAP builds upon Northeastern University’s 2007 American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and early efforts of Northeastern University’s 2010 Sustainable Action Plan: Roadmap Towards Carbon Neutrality. Among recent events, in January 2021, the Faculty Senate formed the Climate Justice Action Planning Committee to suggest mechanisms for integrating climate justice action into the University’s Strategic Plan. Soon after, President Aoun signed onto Second Nature’s Climate Action Pursuit, which positions Northeastern University as a leader in climate justice action and commits us to a year-long process of learning, planning, and action identification.
The CJAP planning process is being led by the Office of Sustainability in partnership with the CJAP Working Group, which is comprised of a representative sample of the University’s faculty, staff, and students. The Working Group is charged with setting the planning and engagement framework for the CJAP and recommending goals and actions to prepare Northeastern to be a living lab example of a carbon-free and resilient institution. Under the larger Working Group, there are seven Sub-Groups that are each focused on a specific topic that will be included in the CJAP. The Sub-Groups will conduct the bulk of the research, goal setting, and action identification in each of their focus areas. It is therefore important that the Sub-Groups adequately represent the breadth of expertise and experience that exists at the institution.
Engagement with internal (e.g., faculty, staff, students, parents) and external stakeholders (e.g., local community groups) is planned to understand the climate impacts facing Northeastern University and its surrounding community.
External engagements will also seek to identify the ways in which the University influences the climate impacts in its surrounding community and how it can help to avoid, minimize, or mitigate those impacts, as well as create new community benefits.
In concert with stakeholder input, the CJAP Working Group and its Sub-Groups shall determine a vision for climate justice action at the University, along with supporting goals. The Working Group shall also identify and investigate implementable actions that will help the University achieve its vision and goals within specified timelines consistent with – or more aggressive than – local, state, and regional targets.
Developed by the Faculty Senate Committee on Climate Justice Action Planning, April 2021
Moving beyond traditional climate action focused narrowly on goals for emissions reductions, climate justice action recognizes that: (1) many policies, processes, and practices of wealthy nations and established institutions are the drivers of climate change; 2) the impacts of climate disruptions and the capacity to adapt are distributed unequally among and within local and global communities; 3) equitable climate adaptation and strengthening climate resilience requires new transformative investments, innovations, and actions to rectify the disproportionate burdens on those who are most vulnerable to ongoing and future climate impacts. Climate justice action thus involves striving for transformative systemic changes that integrate technological and social innovation while prioritizing social, racial, and economic justice.
Within higher education, climate justice action requires continual assessment and systemic intention to prioritize inclusive social and political processes, policies, and practices that reduce climate risks and strengthen climate resilience for marginalized communities rather than perpetuating inequities and disparities. Climate justice includes committing to a more equitable, inclusive, diverse, and accessible university community and ending fossil fuel reliance within our communities and campuses. Climate justice also involves expanding our commitment to partnering with and serving under-invested-in communities and communities of color who continue to be more vulnerable to increasingly frequent and intense climate disruptions and whose health and well-being are disproportionately harmed by fossil fuel use. These partnerships facilitate the co-design and co-development of innovations that build on the many resources and skills within Northeastern while ensuring that our strategies and actions meet the needs of and priorities of broader networks of communities. Prioritizing climate justice is both an opportunity and a responsibility for any university committed to advancing racial justice, rebuilding community relations, and restoring ecosystems
Using the above definition as a cornerstone, the foundation for the Climate Justice Action Plan (CJAP) is twofold.
The Foundation for Climate Justice will inform the Climate Justice Action Plan (CJAP) program that is being developed by the CJAP Working Group and led by the Office of Sustainability.
- Develop a Roadmap for Restorative Climate Action and Resilience
Understanding that climate change is an urgent global threat that fossil fuels and other sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the main drivers, and that the policies and practices of Northeastern University are contributing to climate change, the focus of the CJAP is to prepare Northeastern to be a living lab example of a carbon-free and resilient institution.
- Create a Culture of Sustainability and Well-Being for All
Beyond recommending climate change mitigation and adaption strategies that are mindful and restorative, the ambition of the CJAP is to create a culture of sustainable development and climate justice at Northeastern. In addition to the statements presented below, the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals will be a guiding resource for the CJAP Working Group.
The CJAP Working Group acknowledges that our neighboring communities around the globe have their own goals and objectives to address their unique needs. To be an effective leader, we aim to expand engagement with them, evaluate where we can find synergies in our climate and sustainability objectives, and provide resources where they are needed. In community outreach, the CJAP Working Group will collaborate with those at Northeastern already working in the social justice space.
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