Ginny Gnadt 
Senior Public Relations Specialist
(414) 297-6770, gnadtv@matc.edu

MILWAUKEE (April 9, 2010) – Milwaukee Area Technical College President Dr. Michael L. Burke formally committed to sharply reducing and eventually eliminating all of the college’s global warming emissions, as well as accelerating the educational efforts to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate. The pledge came as Dr. Burke signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment at the 2010 Green Energy Summit, hosted by MATC in Milwaukee in late March.

“MATC has long been committed to reducing its carbon footprint and becoming climate neutral,” said Dr. Burke. “Sustainability is one of MATC’s most important strategic goals. By signing this document, we are formally affirming the college’s dedication continuing to fight global warming.”

 MATC has already taken many concrete actions in this arena, including:

• Undertaking development of a solar education farm, the largest in the State of Wisconsin, (500 kWh AC) and possibly the first entirely portable photovoltaic (PV) facility in the United States, in conjunction with Johnson Controls, Inc.  The site will generate enough power annually to service approximately 120 homes and will be used to educate the workforce to design, sell and install photovoltaic systems;

• Installed a wind turbine at the Mequon Campus and photovoltaic panels at the Mequon and Oak Creek Campuses;

• Purchasing energy from other renewable sources;

• Adopting U.S. Green Building’s LEED Silver green standards or equivalent for new buildings;

• Conversion to LED lighting in its Milwaukee Campus parking structure at 8th and State Streets and in a West Allis Campus parking lot, reducing energy consumption by more than 50 percent at those sites;

• Installing energy efficient chillers at the Downtown Milwaukee and Oak Creek Campuses;

• Installing an innovative heat pump system in Milwaukee Public Television facilities, which utilizes heat emitted from electronic equipment to warm offices and classrooms; 

• Replaced lighting systems in two of its older buildings to better utilize ambient light;

• Deployed a fleet of hybrid vehicles for inter-campus travel;

• Begun composting food waste on campus;

• Reducing travel by use of telecommuting equipment;

• Encouraging public transportation via U-Pass for students, utilizing a shuttle for the Milwaukee Campus and advocating for bus service at all campuses; and

• Offsetting emissions due to air travel (MATC monitors all of its travel carbon footprint).

In addition, MATC serves as the host to the annual statewide Green Energy Summit, an annual Green Vehicles workshop, as well as offering many other “green” educational opportunities.

The Presidents’ Climate Commitment is the first such effort by any major sector of society to set climate neutrality – not just a reduction – as its target. This undertaking by America’s colleges and universities is inspired by efforts like the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership and other collective efforts by states and businesses.

"Colleges and universities must lead the effort to reverse global warming for the health and well-being of current and future generations," said Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University and a founding member of the ACUPCC Leadership Circle. "On behalf of all the signatories, I welcome Dr. Michael Burke to the commitment. We are honored and pleased to have him join us."

The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate. Under the guidance and direction of the Leadership Circle of presidents, the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment is supported and implemented by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Second Nature, and ecoAmerica. Learn more at: www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.

The ACUPCC was formed in late 2006 by 12 college and university presidents concerned about global warming and climate neutrality. To date, presidents of 680 U.S. colleges and universities have signed the commitment. Presidents pledge to complete an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions within a year; eliminate their campuses’ net greenhouse gas emissions in a reasonable period of time as determined by each institution; create and implement a climate action plan; integrate sustainability into the curriculum and make it part of the educational experience; and   make the action plan, inventory and periodic progress reports publicly available.