The New School has long engaged with and offered creative solutions to society’s most pressing issues. Climate change, the effects of which are being documented worldwide, is one of the greatest challenges we face today. The New School announces a bold and comprehensive Climate Action Plan to guide university policies. Developed by students, alumni, faculty, and administrators at our New York City and Paris campuses, the Climate Action Plan draws on our academic strengths and reflective practices, bringing together design, social research, and policy to address the challenges posed by climate change. As part of this initiative, The New School’s Board of Trustees approved a motion to divest from fossil fuels. The Board’s Investment Committee has also approved a significant investment of the university’s endowment in renewable energy. The plan calls for an expanded array of courses on climate change and climate justice, additional research and projects focusing on environmental challenges from design and policy perspectives, and review of our organizational culture and operations to identify opportunities for scalable change. These commitments will be amplified through public programs promoting discourse on climate change. The following are other plan highlights: The New School’s Tishman Environment and Design Center (TEDC) will lead development of new academic programming and research that fosters the integration of design strategies and creative social and ecological approaches to environmental issues. Students throughout the university will have opportunities to engage in project-based learning and multidisciplinary classes that investigate and access the impact of their carbon footprint and challenge students to promote sustainable living in innovative ways.





We will continue with our efforts to ensure that New School buildings and operations reflect sustainable practices. Already, we have one of the smallest carbon footprints per capita among U.S. higher education institutions. To date, 100 percent of the university’s electric consumption is offset by alternative energy credits. We have reduced electricity costs and consumption per square foot by 20 percent in the last three years, reduced water usage by 9 million gallons (40 percent) since 2010, and more than doubled the percentage of e-waste recycling over the same time period, a first for a northeastern educational institution.





Public program highlights include the Henry Cohen Lecture series on public policy in action, which kicks off on February 9 with a presentation by Van Jones, and the TEDC Earth Day launch event on April 22. See the New School Events calendar for details. Our community has been actively involved in developing this exciting initiative and remains essential to its success. Join us on April 22, Earth Day, for the official launch of TEDC and a continuation of this important discussion. We look forward to meeting you and hearing your thoughts. Visit www.newschool.edu/tishman-center for updates on the Climate Action Plan.