Colorado College officially becomes carbon neutral

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado College set an ambitious goal more than a decade ago when the school announced it would work towards becoming carbon neutral by the year 2020.

One month into the new decade, CC announced that it has achieved that goal. The school, located just north of downtown Colorado Springs, is only the eighth institution in North America to achieve carbon-neutral status, according to a news release issued Wednesday.

Former CC President Richard F. Celeste signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2009, but the school had been working toward reducing emissions before that. Since 2008, CC says it has reduced on-campus emissions by 75%.

Colorado College achieved carbon-neutral status through a combination of buying offsets and strategies to reduce the campus' carbon footprint, like using solar panels and geothermal energy. The offsets were purchased to make up for off-campus emissions, including air travel and commuting.

“Addressing climate change will take strong, consistent work from institutions of every kind,” said Provost Alan Townsend . “CC has shown that significant progress in the climate impact of operations is possible in a relatively short period of time, and we are committed to showing that can be done in other sectors as well.”

For more information about the school's plan to reduce emissions, follow this page.