Reporting

Setting goals, tracking progress and reporting results are standard business practices for any organization, business or initiative — and sustainability efforts in higher education are no exception. Public reporting on progress towards sustainability is a key driver for long-term success, and regular, public reporting is a central component of the ACUPCC. Reporting helps signatories learn from one another and demonstrates to external audiences the seriousness with which signatories are implementing the Commitment.

Read Viewpoints on Sustainability: Why Public Reporting Matters for more information for more information.

To view Public Reports, visit the ACUPCC Reporting System. Reports can be filtered by institution name, state or institution type.

Reporting Requirements

As set out in the Commitment, ACUPCC signatory institutions agree to make their climate action plan, greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, and progress reports publicly available by providing them to the ACUPCC Reporting System for posting and dissemination.

Reporting Timelines

Reporting due dates are determined by the signatory’s implementation start date. For new signatories the implementation start date is set to January 15 of the year following commitment signing. With the exception of the implementation profile, which is due two months after signing and should be kept up to date, all reports are due January 15th in subsequent years according to the reporting schedule below:

• Within 2 months of the Implementation start date, signatories will complete their Implementation Profile by submitting information on the institutional structure for developing their climate action plans, designating the institutional liaison, and choosing the two tangible actions that will be implemented before the end of year 2;
• Within 1 year, signatories will submit the results of their first GHG emissions inventory;
• Within 2 years, signatories will submit their climate action plans;
• Within 3 years and at least every other year thereafter (years 5, 7, 9 etc.), signatories are committed to updating their GHG emissions inventories;
• Within 4 years and at least every other year thereafter (years 6, 8, 10 etc.), signatories are committed to completing a report describing progress in implementing their climate action plans.
  

Prior to March 2011, signatories were assigned one of three implementation start dates and corresponding reporting deadlines: January 15th, May 15th, or September 15th. As of March 2011, all signatories were moved to the January 15th reporting deadline. For more information please read this announcement from the ACUPCC Steering Committee.

The Implementation Profile is due two months after signing the commitment, and this deadline will therefore vary from institution to institution. The Implementation Liaison is responsible for keeping the Implementation Profile up-to-date on an ongoing basis, as the information from this report, including the name of the president or chancellor, syncs directly to information on the ACUPCC website.

See the following list of implementation start dates and reporting deadlines. Institution deadlines will vary according to implementation start date; for an institution’s current reporting schedule, please check the ACUPCC Reporting System.

In the event that an institution will be unable to meet the GHG Report, Climate Action Plan, or Progress Report on the Climate Action Plan reporting deadlines despite its best efforts, a request for an extension may be submitted. Please click here for more information.

Reporting Process

All reporting materials are submitted through the ACUPCC Reporting System. Signatories submit reports, update reports, and request extensions using the ACUPCC Reporting System.

Implementation Liaison
The Implementation Liaison is the staff person responsible for executing the ACUPCC at their institution. Each ACUPCC signatory has one Implementation Liaison (IL), appointed by the President. If an Implementation Liaison changes or is replaced with a new staff member, please contact reporting@secondnature.org with the new IL’s name, title, department, and contact information for access to the reporting system.

The IL is responsible for maintaining the public reporting profile for the institution (updating contact information and reports at rs.acupcc.org on an ongoing basis), submitting reports for the institution, and acting as the information liaison between the ACUPCC and his or her campus community and President.

The Implementation Liaison may request other staff members be given access to the Reporting System by contacting reporting@secondnature.org and providing the name, title, and contact information for each individual to be given access.

Reports may be updated at any time. Signatories are encouraged to view their reports as “living documents” which may be updated as new information, tools, and data become available to the higher education community, and the institution.

Reporting Assistance

For assistance with reporting deadlines or the Reporting System, please contact the ACUPCC Support Staff at Second Nature, reporting@secondnature.org or 617.722.0036.