A Letter of Welcome

Text of Letter:

Dear Members of the Vassar Community,

I am pleased to introduce Vassar's 2020 Climate Action Plan, outlining the next five years of the College's efforts to address the climate crisis.

At Vassar, we are committed to providing future generations with the capacity to address the world's most pressing problems. We are equipping students with the knowledge to tackle climate change through the Grand Challenges Initiative funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which has incorporated sustainability education throughout the curriculum. We are sharply decreasing our facilities' carbon footprint through an aggressive $13 million project approved by the Board of Trustees in 2019. And, through the ambitious but achievable steps detailed in this Climate Action Plan, we are taking even greater strides to minimize our negative impact on the environment.

I would like to thank the Climate Action & Sustainability Committee and the Office of Sustainability for the substantial work they put into creating this plan over the last year. I would also like to thank the many students, faculty, staff, and administrators who shared their thoughts by attending a Climate Action Forum, responding to the campus-wide survey, or serving on a Climate Action Team. The Climate Action Plan truly represents our shared vision.

As the past year has shown, the Vassar community can accomplish incredible things when we work collectively. I encourage you to consider how your personal efforts can contribute to our goals, and I look forward to seeing what we accomplish together.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth H. Bradley
President