Summary: In the Spring of 2015, after campus activism and a report from the Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility (ACSR) concerning the issue of fossil fuel consumption, the President and Trustees of Williams College laid out initiatives for reducing the College’s greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the community’s impact on global warming2.
In the current report, we review the advantages and disadvantages of the various options available to the college, such as divestment, improving energy efficiency on campus, educational initiatives, and impact investing of the college’s endowment (in companies, projects, or technologies focused on the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions). We then summarize the progress the college has made in the areas defined by the President and Trustees. In particular, we highlight the successful and continuing efforts of the College administration and the Zilkha Center in the area of campus and local/regional energy efficiency initiatives.
We present five recommendations for furthering the college’s efforts in combatting climate
change. Given the diverse viewpoints represented by committee members, consensus is hard
to achieve and these recommendations did not receive uniform support.

Full report