Luther's Commitments

American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC)

Luther College President Richard Torgerson became a charter member of ACUPCC in January 2007. Luther’s administration has decided to take the following tangible actions related to implementing the commitment:

All new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent.
All new appliances will be ENERGY STAR certified.
Luther has signed a contract to offset emissions from at least 15 percent of its electricity consumption by purchasing RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATES from a local community wind project.

Luther College Climate Action Plan

Luther College has a deep and lasting commitment to sustainability. This document attempts to lay out some of the ways in which the College is meeting this commitment and plans to do more in the near future. Our goal is to integrate sustainability into all areas of campus life and to make it a central organizing principle for Luther College. While the specific initiatives outlined in this document represent our current plans, we will constantly seek new ways to reduce carbon emissions, increase opportunities for sustainability education, model stewardship and sustainability in college operations, and be a catalyst for change within our region. By achieving these goals, Luther College will improve the education of our students while also doing our part to address the challenges of climate change.

Sustainability as Major Part of Luther’s Five-Year Strategic Plan

A task force comprised of students, faculty, staff, regents, and friends of the college worked for 12 months beginning in May 2007 to develop a plan for how Luther College can meet its ACUPCC commitment and other environmental obligations. The strategic plan approved by the Luther Board of Regents in May 2008, Transformed by the Journey: A Sesquicentennial Strategic Plan for Luther College, 2008-12 (https://www.luther.edu/about/mission/strategic/), includes the following goals:

Create a Center for Sustainable Communities to be a catalyst for change locally and regionally.
Make sustainability a part of every student’s learning experience.
Model stewardship and sustainability in all college operations to reduce Luther’s environmental impact and mitigate operational costs.
Reduce Luther’s carbon footprint by 50 percent and develop a plan to achieve carbon neutrality.
Design and implement a campus land-use plan that affirms land stewardship, sustainability, and landscape designer Jens Jensen’s original vision for the Luther campus in 1911.
Continue sustainable and strategic enhancements of the plant and facilities with a focus on student learning, energy payback, campus needs, and economic return.

Campus Sustainability Council

The Campus Sustainability Council, comprising students, faculty, and staff, began its duties in fall 2008. Each member of the council will serve on at least one of four sub-groups that will include other members of the Luther community. Each sub-group will address specific goals in the strategic plan related to the following topics:

Sustainability Coordinator Position

Luther established a sustainability coordinator position in the fall of 2007. In the fall of 2009, Luther hired an assistant sustainability coordinator with one year of funding assistance from a grant provided by the Rocky Mountain Institute. Specific duties of the campus sustainability coordinators include the following:

Coordinate carbon reduction efforts.
Monitor energy consumption and promote conservation through behavior changes.
Oversee and improve waste reduction efforts.
Work with dining services to increase use of sustainable foods.
Design and implement educational initiatives, including in residence halls.
Manage the recycling and composting programs.
Manage four sustainability work study positions.

Departmental Initiatives

In order for Luther to become sustainable, everyone on campus must do their part in changing behaviors and systems in their daily lives. Luckily, the fantastic students, faculty, and staff on campus have taken this charge seriously and are working hard to improve their respective departments.