GW is absent from a list of more than 100 colleges and universities that agreed to work toward eliminating carbon emissions and promote a more environmentally friendly campus.
The American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, a group dedicated to tackling global warming through eliminating carbon emissions on college campuses, invited GW to join the group last December. The University responded to the group March 1 saying it would consider joining.
Executive Vice President and Treasurer Lou Katz's office is reviewing the invitation, officials said. Assistant Director of Media Relations Matt Lindsay said there is no timeline for when GW would make a decision about if they would join this group.
"GW has undertaken many projects that have reduced carbon emissions, but GW has not set a specific target for reducing carbon emissions by particular amounts or dates," wrote Nancy Haaga, managing director of Campus Support Services, in an e-mail.
Haaga said the University is already taking steps to make GW more environmentally friendly. She cited replacing incandescent with florescent light bulbs, installing energy-efficient washers and dryers in residence halls and removing halogen lamps found in student residence halls as steps GW has already taken.
The measures have helped maintain a level of energy usage during the past five years despite University growth, Haaga said.
Other schools, particularly those who have signed onto the University Presidents Climate Commitment, have come up with innovative ways to become more environmentally friendly. Of the program's more than 140 signatories, Cornell University boasts one of the most successful reduction rates.
By increasing fees on student parking permits and rewarding students who don't purchase permits, Cornell officials say they have encouraged public transportation and experienced a 51,000-ton reduction in greenhouse gas emission, according to the group's Web site.
The American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, a group dedicated to tackling global warming through eliminating carbon emissions on college campuses, invited GW to join the group last December. The University responded to the group March 1 saying it would consider joining.
Executive Vice President and Treasurer Lou Katz's office is reviewing the invitation, officials said. Assistant Director of Media Relations Matt Lindsay said there is no timeline for when GW would make a decision about if they would join this group.
"GW has undertaken many projects that have reduced carbon emissions, but GW has not set a specific target for reducing carbon emissions by particular amounts or dates," wrote Nancy Haaga, managing director of Campus Support Services, in an e-mail.
Haaga said the University is already taking steps to make GW more environmentally friendly. She cited replacing incandescent with florescent light bulbs, installing energy-efficient washers and dryers in residence halls and removing halogen lamps found in student residence halls as steps GW has already taken.
The measures have helped maintain a level of energy usage during the past five years despite University growth, Haaga said.
Other schools, particularly those who have signed onto the University Presidents Climate Commitment, have come up with innovative ways to become more environmentally friendly. Of the program's more than 140 signatories, Cornell University boasts one of the most successful reduction rates.
By increasing fees on student parking permits and rewarding students who don't purchase permits, Cornell officials say they have encouraged public transportation and experienced a 51,000-ton reduction in greenhouse gas emission, according to the group's Web site.
