New Jersey  Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability

505 Ramapo Valley Road, RM. G425B
Mahwah, NJ 07430    NJHEPS@earthlink.net  
(201) 684-7031 voice  (201) 684-7681 fax

EMBARGOED: 12:00 noon, Monday, February 12, 2001
CONTACT: Dr. James Quigley    201-684-7031
Dr. Donald Wheeler 201 445-9272

All 56 NJ College Presidents Sign Environmental Plan

New Brunswick, NJ, Feb. 12 -- In an historic signing, the presidents of all 56 New Jersey colleges and
universities have joined together to endorse a Sustainability Greenhouse Gas Action Plan for New
Jersey that calls for a 3.5 percent reduction in the state's greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2005.

Developed by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the plan is the nationıs first to
establish reduction goals for greenhouse gas emissions.

The action commits its signers to the implementation of ³voluntary programs and initiatives to
accomplish the core goal of the Plan, a 3.5% reduction in New Jersey greenhouse gas
emissions below 1990 levels by the year 2005.²  The 56 educational institutions join  13 other
New Jersey organizations and businesses that have similarly pledged to help implement the
plan (see: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/gcc/gcc.htm ).

³This historic signing on greenhouse gas emissions means that 56 college presidents are all looking to
New Jersey's future,² said James Loughran, S.J., President of Saint Peterıs College, and Chair of the
New Jersey Presidentsı Council.  ³We shall be teaching an important lesson both to our students and to
the citizens of New Jersey and beyond.²

Dr. Donald Wheeler, president of NJHEPS (New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for
Sustainability) and Professor of Sociology and Global Studies at Kean University, outlined the following
concerns:

A National Assessment was recently completed by the United States Global Change Research Program
(see: http://www.nacc.usgcrp.gov/).  A separate assessment for the Mid-Atlantic examines the impacts of climate change on the New York City metropolitan region, including Northern New Jersey.

³Because of its foresight, the endorsement of the DEP plan by 56 college presidents is a milestone in the history of New Jersey higher education,² said Wheeler. ³This action will serve as a model for the nation.²

NJHEPS presented the Council with a resolution calling for support of the DEP plan that the Presidents then voted to endorse. Subsequent to this, 56 presidents individually signed a ³Covenant of Sustainability² committing their respective institutions to the plan.

NJHEPS is a coalition of 15 New Jersey campuses promoting sustainability. It has established ties to faculty, students, administrators and campus facilities operators around the state. NJHEPS is funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation of Morristown, NJ.

      56 Presidents* of  New Jersey Higher Education Institutions

Having Signed the New Jersey Sustainability Greenhouse Gas Initiative

* Rabbi Hersonıs title is ³Dean²; Rabbi Kotlerıs title is ³Chief Executive Officer²; Rabbi Shainıs title is ³Dean²; and Rabbi Weintraubıs title is ³Executive Director² ³New Jerseyıs campuses have made significant advances in energy efficiency,² stated Dr. Saul Fenster, President of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Vice Chair of the Council. ³Those efficiency gains translate into emissions reductions which are not only good for the environment, but make sense economically.²

³The stateıs greenhouse gas reduction goal can only be achieved through implementation of cost-effective strategies and technologies through a public and private sector partnership,² said DEP Commissioner Bob Shinn.

³I commend all of the institutions represented here today,  especially those which have already taken steps to address this global problem and are helping to prove that this is indeed a realistic plan with achievable goals. 

"The commitment of New Jersey colleges and universities to this goal  is even more significant due to their role in the education of future generations.  I am delighted to see this initiative will be used to train the next generation of architects and engineers in sustainable building design,² said Shinn.

³Itıs good to see this initiative take root,² stated former Governor and now Drew University President Tom Kean. ³I whole heartedly support the current administrationıs efforts in this area and believe they can have a lasting impact.²

³Per unit energy consumption has decreased on the campuses, in some cases dramatically,² said Dr. Jim Quigley, NJHEPS Executive Director. He pointed to examples of cogeneration plants that have been constructed at Kean, Princeton, and Rutgers University and at The College of New Jersey.

Other examples of energy conservation are a set of fuel cells at Ramapo College and a substantial geothermal installation at Richard Stockton College. Most New Jersey campuses have made improvements in lighting efficiency and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment.

³These are major developments that can be credited with having avoided tens of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide emissions,² said Quigley. ³But, we know thereıs a long way to go.²

New Jerseyıs action plan calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 20 million tons (from the projected 151 million tons in 2005 to the goal of 131 million tons by that date) through initiatives in five areas:  energy conservation, pollution prevention, innovative technologies, recycling and solid waste management and natural resource protection.

If nothing is done, emissions are projected to rise 6 percent annually.

Specifically, the plan would achieve a 6.2 million ton reduction through energy conservation initiatives in residential, commercial and industrial buildings,

Another 6.3 million ton reduction is expected through innovative technologies in residential, commercial and industrial buildings, a 2.2 million ton reduction through energy conservation and innovative technologies in the transportation sector, a 4.5 million ton reduction through waste management improvements, and a half million ton reduction through natural resource conservation.

Examples include: proper car maintenance to improve fuel efficiency, greater use of mass transit and alternate fueled vehicles, use of more energy efficient appliances in the home, use of more efficient commercial and residential heating and cooling systems, lighting system upgrades in commercial establishments, use of fuel cells in industrial and commercial settings, greater recycling to reduce waste generation, tree planting to reduce carbon dioxide levels, and reducing or using energy lost through inefficient industrial processes.

One study showed that in New Jersey, 21 percent of energy designated for use in industrial activities is wasted due to inefficient processes.

New Jersey produces about 2 percent of the nationıs greenhouse gases, approximately 130 million tons a year.  It is the first to sign an agreement with a foreign nation ­ the Netherlands ­ to work jointly on climate change issues to reduce sea-level rise.

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