Oregon Universities Work To Meet Climate Challenge

Portland - McKinstry Co., Portland, and the The Oregon University System (OUS), formed a consortium of the seven public universities in Oregon, to create a climate action plan that will put them on the road to eventual carbon neutrality. McKinstry performed an integrated analysis of energy consumption across all seven OUS campuses which included engineering, financial, operation, and sustainability assessments. It then developed a climate action plan complete with target dates and metrics to achieve the eventual goal of a carbon-neutral OUS.

For nearly a decade, the OUS has worked continuously on sustainability initiatives to support Governor Kulongoski’s aggressive goals to mitigate the impacts of global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. After signing The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment or AUCPCC (www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org), the OUS set out to develop a coordinated plan to address this issue.