The USG Senate meeting took place in the Student Union Ballroom on Wednesday, April 25, 2017. A bill about supporting environmental policy in UConn 2020 Vision was discussed. (Jason Jiang/The Daily Campus)
The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at the University of Connecticut passed legislation supporting the university’s sustainability commitments yesterday.
The bill supported UConn’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and 2020 Vision for Sustainability and Climate Leadership. Both plans detail the university’s initiatives to be environmentally friendly.
CAP outlines UConn’s commitment to promoting sustainability through compliance with environmental regulations and laws, the courses they offer and outreach throughout the state.
The 2020 Vision for Sustainability and Climate Leadership is the university’s outline of specific environmental regulations they will adhere to, including dining, waste reduction, energy use and transportation.
Sen. Myles Gibbs (Engineering) co-authored the bill with Sen. Franklyn Barrueco (NextGen) and said he hopes USG’s support will put pressure on the UConn administration to stick to the policies.
“I hope UConn will take immediate action,” Gibbs said.
Barrueco said he saw President Donald Trump’s passage of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines as an opportunity to bring environmental issues to USG.
“There’s no legislation USG passed that endorses or shows support for the… sustainability initiatives that UConn is trying to promote,” Barrueco said.
Gibbs also added that environmental friendliness has been a priority for UConn, referencing the university’s top ten ranking on the Sierra Club’s list of sustainable schools for the past five years. He said he hopes the bill will reaffirm that.
“I’m proud that UConn has made sustainability part of its identity,” Gibbs said.
Schae Beaudoin is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached by email at schae.beaudoin@uconn.edu.