Summary: We agreed that climate change is an existential threat to modern human life, and that Williams College has a role to play in fighting climate change through reducing its own contribution to global warming and through educating our students regarding the threat it poses to human wellbeing and to the natural environment. To this end, we recommend the College be very aggressive in pursuing policies that reduce emissions, prioritize energy efficiency and promote conservation. Undertaking aggressive steps will require all of us to consider how we live and work on the campus: Do we need to recalibrate our priorities when making decisions about the College infrastructure and operations? Are there behavioral changes that will have a significant impact on emissions, waste and sustainability? How do we educate/inform the college community to facilitate such changes? While we focused (as subcommittees) on emissions reduction, waste reduction and sustainable food, the importance of changing the culture and increasing awareness was included in the course of our discussions.

Full report