Fordham has joined 180 colleges and universities in pledging its support to the Paris Climate Agreement.
In the pledge, “We Are Still In,” higher education leaders affirmed their commitment to the goals laid out in the agreement, which was signed in 2015 by representatives of nearly 200 nations. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, joined the heads of public and private institutions across the country and at home, including Columbia University, New York University, the City University of New York, and several colleges in the State University of New York system.
“In the absence of leadership from Washington, states, cities, colleges and universities, and businesses representing a sizable percentage of the U.S. economy will pursue ambitious climate goals,” the pledge states.
The nonprofit group Second Nature helped to coordinate the effort among the higher-education institutions. The group works with colleges and universities to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions on campuses.
The pledge unites institutions of higher learning with businesses and government officials toward a common goal: working to ensure the United States meets targets for emissions reduction.
As part of that effort, leaders in both the private and public sectors outside the federal government promise to engage with the international community to reduce the effects of global warming.
Last year, Fordham joined the Catholic Climate Covenant in filing an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in support of the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever federal standards on carbon pollution from power plants, and last month signaled support for carbon pricing.
The pledge, which is being spearheaded by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, has attracted the support of mayors of Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, St. Louis, as well as businesses such as Facebook, Target L’Oreal, and Unilever.
