Our latest story spotlights Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute and its McKinney Climate Fellows program, which is preparing the next generation of climate leaders through hands-on sustainability projects that strengthen communities across Indiana. Read here: bit.ly/4gDMHDn

Building Indiana’s Climate Workforce Through Action - Second Nature

As climate impacts  become increasingly visible at the local level, Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI) is preparing the next generation of professionals to help communities ...

bit.ly

Campus Storytelling: At @bowiestate2014.bsky.social, its Peace Park shows how climate action can honor the past while building a more resilient future, transforming it into a living landscape where students learn through hands-on restoration and engagement. Read the story: bit.ly/BowieStatePe...

From Memorial to Resilience: How Bowie State University’s Peace Park Connects History, Healing, and Sustainability - Second Nature

At Bowie State University, Peace Park stands as more than a green space. It is a living memorial where remembrance, healing, and resilience come together to honor lives lost while creating opportuniti...

bit.ly

See what's happening in the Climate Leadership Network: Students at Cornell University are working to reduce food waste through improved dining operations and food recovery. Here, engaged learning helped focus coursework on real-time sustainability. Learn more: lnkd.in/gWV3-NCy

See what's happening in the Climate Leadership Network: Rooftop heat recovery at Cornell University is part of the university's Energy Conservation Initiative (ECI), saving the university $2.29 million and 9,000 metric tons of carbon annually. Learn more: lnkd.in/gzey9s3h

Network update: Since launching in 2016, the University of Michigan Medicine’s composting program has diverted more than 800 tons of food waste from landfills, helping reduce methane emissions and support broader sustainability goals. Learn more: lnkd.in/gRk9cqDz

Climate Leadership Network Update: University of Louisville (UofL) is tapping into a local, renewable resource. It has begun to drill its next geothermal wells to tap into sustainable comfort as part of another LEED Gold project. Learn more: www.uoflnews.com/post/uofltod...

Climate Leadership Network News: Pomona College, in partnership with The Claremont Colleges consortium, is advancing its commitment to carbon neutrality by transitioning to 100% zero-emission renewable electricity through the non-profit Clean Power Alliance. Learn more: bit.ly/PamonaCollege

Member Story: @miamiuniversity.bsky.social Alumni Sharon and Graham Mitchell made a $5 million gift to create the Sharon and Graham Mitchell Sustainability Park, a first-of-its-kind co-located solar and geothermal energy system on a college campus. Read the story: bit.ly/MitchellSust...

We are proud to award pro bono consulting services, valued at up to $30,000 each, to six Climate Leadership Network member institutions. Thank you to our consulting partners, Brailsford & Dunlavey, ERM Coho, and Ever-Green Energy. Learn more:https://bit.ly/ProBonoRoundVIRecipients

Campus climate storytelling: Highlighting how Southern Oregon University is building energy and community resilience together by expanding on-campus solar, integrating battery storage for emergencies, and transforming its infrastructure into a living laboratory. Read the story: lnkd.in/giAHXYsE

Check out this new op-ed by Leocadia I. Zak, President of Agnes Scott College, on why investing in creative governance is essential to building community climate resilience. Read the full piece: lnkd.in/gdyK9HE8

Network News: @MountHolyoke launched its Climate Justice Lab to integrate climate justice across the curriculum and serve as the nerve center for some of the college’s most influential environmental work. Learn more here: lnkd.in/g66JVE8M

WEBINAR: Join the @aceducation.bsky.social and Second Nature on April 30 for the fourth webinar in our series, From Pilot to Practice: Institutional Stories from the Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability. Register: lnkd.in/g5iaMyVC.

CLN Update: The University of Maryland Baltimore County Office of Sustainability worked with campus stakeholders to develop a renewed Sustainability & Climate Action Plan. Learn more here: lnkd.in/gtkKSmFM

CLN Update: Catawba College is currently implementing a campus sustainability initiative that integrates innovation, decarbonization, and deferred maintenance. Learn more: lnkd.in/g3wNhG5x

Climate Leadership Network Update: UB's North Campus Clean Energy Master Plan (CEMP), seeks to update the campus’ aging infrastructure to an electrified system that will reduce carbon emissions, decrease energy use by 30%, and realize substantial savings on energy costs. Learn more: bit.ly/UBDecarb

We’re thrilled to celebrate Oberlin College and Hobart and William Smith Colleges on achieving carbon neutrality and on being recognized with a carbon neutrality award by Second Nature! Congratulations to both institutions for setting the bar for ambitious climate action in higher education!

CLN Updates: The National Sustainability Society has recognized the University of Pittsburgh’s Circular Economy Program with the Innovations in Sustainability Education Team Award, honoring co-developers and program leaders in partnership with Covestro. Learn more: bit.ly/UPittAward

That’s a wrap on the 2026 Summit! Over three days, leaders across higher education came together to break silos, build alignment, and strengthen partnerships for climate action. Thank you to everyone who joined us in Chicago. The work continues, together.

Announcing the 2026 Climate Luminary Honors awardees! Six institutions recognized for exemplary climate leadership in advancing bold and equitable solutions across decarbonization, justice, community, workforce, research, and climate resilience. Join us in celebrating their work: lnkd.in/gK4C8nf6

Summit, Day 2: Opening plenary reflected on how sustainability in higher ed has grown from isolated efforts into institution-wide strategies. Speakers emphasized embedding sustainability into leadership and curricula, empowering students, and staying adaptive and values-driven in uncertain times.

Welcome to the 2026 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit. Over the next couple of days, leaders from across the higher education sector are gathering here in Chicago to explore solutions, strengthen partnerships, and accelerate climate action. Let’s get started!

Network Update: For the first time, the University of Pennsylvania's (Penn) annual report on sustainability captures critical climate achievements. On the main campus, net emissions fell by 4.5% year-over-year and have dropped by 49% since FY09. Learn more here: bit.ly/UPennCAP

At the 2026 Summit, we will gather to reflect on how the sustainability professional has taken shape across higher education, and where it’s headed next. Join us in Chicago, March 8-10! Register and learn more: bit.ly/HECLsummit2026

The 2026 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit is where bold ideas turn into action, bringing together higher education leaders advancing climate solutions on campus and in communities. Join us March 8-10 in Chicago and be part of the momentum. Register here: bit.ly/HECLsummit2026

The work ahead demands more than one solution, and this year’s Summit agenda reflects that. To ensure broad participation across the sector, the current registration rate has been extended! Explore the full agenda here: bit.ly/SummitAgenda... Register and learn more: bit.ly/HECLsummit2026

CLN Update: John Jay College (CUNY) had the opportunity of bringing students to participate in COP30 in Belém, Brazil. This allowed students to step inside the global conversation on climate governance and environmental justice in a way no classroom can replicate. Learn more here: lnkd.in/g6Zf92wa

See what's happening in the CLN: Spelman College has released new data outlining the environmental impact of its campus composting initiative. Learn more here: lnkd.in/gSRcfq8D

Second Nature opposes efforts to undermine established climate science by rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding. Decades of peer-reviewed research clearly demonstrate that greenhouse gas pollution endangers public health and welfare. Read more: bit.ly/ImpactEPADec...

Higher education has shown what’s possible when institutions lead together. Now, as new pressures reshape the sector, the question isn’t how far we’ve come, but where we go next. Join us at the 2026 Summit and help define the next era of collective climate action. Register: bit.ly/HECLsummit2026