Oceans cover close to 70 percent of the earth’s surface. They divide continents and peoples. They are dangerous, swallowing unwary explorers in their great depths. But the danger of the unknown ocean hasn’t stopped sailors in all ages from exploring the treasures that await across the vast blue expanse. With compass in hand and constellation above as guides, brave seamen would embark, never knowing if they would return alive.
In the modern world, oceans, seas, lakes and other bodies of water are generally mapped. There is less adventure on the high seas than there was during Columbus’ time. Now there are new oceans to be explored, understood, and charted. These oceans are not expanses of water; rather, they are expanses of knowledge, technology, and science. In order to explore the great unknown of these oceans, we sail toward the uncharted and the unknown.
The UN has embarked on such an adventure. The treasure buried at the edge of the known world is not gold, silver or precious stones but climate neutrality. And aboard the UN ship are six universities from around the world.
Universities from the US, UK, Spain and China have become the first academic institutions to climb board the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net) – an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote global de-carbonization of our economies and societies.
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said: “The Climate Neutral Network was inspired by a simple idea that a transformation to a low, even zero emission future is a learning process. It is therefore fitting that universities from all over the world should join this global networking platform and help make the best knowledge on climate neutrality available to all.”
They are pioneers, explorers. Those associated with CN Net are charting the way for others to follow in an attempt to mitigate the effects of humanity on the environment. And these six universities have the opportunity to lead their sister academic institutions to a land and future in which greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, campuses are “green” and investments in low-carbon research and development are made.
“As think tanks, creativity hubs and change agents in our societies, we welcome universities on board the CN Net and hope that they will bring their vast libraries of knowledge to the Network and use it to accelerate the global transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient future,” said Steiner.
The new CN Net participants have been lifted before the world as leaders on the issue of climate change at the local, national and international levels. Through using renewable sources of energy such as wind, sun and biomass, developing fuel cell vehicles, and encouraging neighbouring communities to take on the low carbon challenge, CN Net is sailing toward a more sustainable world. And they invite all to come aboard or follow.
In the United States alone, 645 colleges and universities are moving towards climate neutrality as part of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Many of these schools are perfect candidates for the CN Net.
“Colleges and universities are arguably the most important institutions to address climate disruption because they can model climate neutrality on their campuses, and they can teach their students the skills and knowledge they need to address the climate crisis,” said Anthony D. Cortese, coordinator of the ACUPCC.
The six institutions that have joined CN Net are:
College of the Atlantic, Maine (USA);
Evergreen State College, Washington (USA);
Middlebury College, Vermont (USA);
Tongji University, Shanghai (China);
University of the West of England, Bristol (UK).
Photo Credit: f0ff0 via flickr under Creative Commons License
