UN Report on Climate Change

The UN Secretary General called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on limiting global warming released Monday an "ear-splitting wake up call"[https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/10/1022492c]. The IPCC report said that limiting global warming to 1.5ºC would require rapid, far reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, according to the report. With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems, limiting global warming to 1.5ºC compared to 2ºC could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society, according to the report. 

With this news, our efforts here at Macalester, as well as the other efforts underway across the globe, are even more important. Here at Macalester our goal to be carbon neutral by 2025. As of 2018, we have reduced our emissions by 36% due to energy efficiency and fuel sourcing, surpassing our 2020 benchmark. We still need to do more to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, as do all of us, if we are to keep the climate under the 1.5ºC threshold. Check out sustainable student resources [https://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/data-reports/studentresources/] for tips on more ways to reduce emissions. Check out sustainable employee resources [https://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/data-reports/employeeresources/] for how employees can reduce emissions.

IPCC report: http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/

Carbon neutrality and Macalester: https://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/carbon-neutral/

2018 Sustainability Progress Report: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jTP3vCSViLaE3ZWdDTDzDqOx4pwYLJn7H-X4Zx6cwUs/edit?usp=sharing