Process

Community Feedback and Participation

Deciding on which carbon offsets to invest in involves an open and transparent process that involves extensive research along with opportunities for community feedback.  In 2019, for example, this effort included but was not limited to:

• researching the approaches from other leading institutions who have already achieved carbon neutrality and/or are already investing in carbon offsets;

• assessing the knowledge and opinions of students on the issue of carbon offsets at Colgate from students in Professor Ian Helfant’s Environmental Studies 390 course (spring 2018);

• an interactive brown bag discussion seminar for faculty and staff (spring 2018);

• a sensitivity analysis that evaluated the potential of the Colgate forest as a carbon offset project (summer 2018);

• researching institutional carbon offset decision-making processes at Colgate University and peer institutions conducted by students in Professor Andy Pattison’s Environmental Studies 390 course (fall 2018);

• a student led forum on the topic of carbon offsets (fall 2018);

• a presentation on carbon neutrality and carbon offsets at an all-faculty meeting (fall 2018);

• a campus-wide open forum on carbon neutrality and carbon offsets (fall 2018);

• an all-campus survey (fall 2018); 

• two solicitations for bids from international, national, and New York State based carbon offset projects;

• a couple of interim reports that highlighted options and a summary of initial feedback;

• a couple dozen meetings of the Carbon Offsets Working Group to discuss their research, feedback from the community, and sharing of diverse perspectives.

During spring semester 2022, the Carbon Offsets Working Group conducted three focus groups and met with 18 faculty and staff.  

General feedback from the focus groups included:

• General agreement that buying domestic (U.S.) offsets is preferred over foreign offsets and local (NYS, Madison County, or Hamilton) is supported if the price is fair.

• Participants agreed that selecting a portfolio of project types is a good approach.  Having a portfolio of projects also allows offsets to be evaluated, discussed, and critiqued by students and faculty which helps contribute to our knowledge and understanding of carbon offset markets. 

• Some participants expressed skepticism around forestry-based projects (long-term permanence is questionable) and agreed that avoided deforestation is especially problematic due to imposing values on other places/communities.  Several participants expressed support for easily measurable offsets (e.g., methane destruction or recovery). 

• General agreement that choosing local projects for their educational value alone is the least important criterion (e.g., learning can be achieved remotely and learning about projects does not necessarily involve site visits).  However, one faculty member felt that educational value and supporting regional projects is the most important criteria.

Contact the Office of Sustainability for more information: sustainability@colgate.edu.  

2022-2023 Carbon Offset Working Group

• Vishnu Anandraj '25

• Adam Burnett, William R. Kenan Jr. professor of geography and environmental studies

• Boyana He '25

• Molly Ogden, director of purchasing

• Audrey Pacthod '23

• John Pumilio, director of sustainability

• Haylie Spain '23

• Mark Walden, senior director, communications and strategic initiatives

2021-2022 Carbon Offset Working Group

• Seth Coluzzi, assistant professor of music

• Nicole Dienst ’22

• Rebecca Hance '23

• Rick Klotz, assistant professor of economics

• John Pumilio, director of sustainability

• Anya Steinmetz '23

• Natalie Ringel '23

• Mark Walden, senior director, communications and strategic initiatives

2020-2021 Carbon Offset Working Group

• Kelsey Bonham '22

• Seth Coluzzi, assistant professor of music

• Nicole Dienst ’22

• Isla Globus-Harris, assistant professor of economics

• Skylar Jeveli ’21

• John Pumilio, director of sustainability

• Robert Turner, professor of economics and environmental studies

• Miller Ward ’20

• Christina Weiler '21