In September 2008 in compliance with the requirements of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), President Jo Ann Gora appointed a Ball State University (BSU) Climate Action Task Force (CATF). The members of CATF were asked to bring forward recommendations to assist Ball State University in achieving climate neutrality; a zero net-carbon-dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) of emissions into the atmosphere by 2050 or earlier.
A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory was completed in August of 2008 (available in PDF format here) and updated regularly through reporting platforms such as EPA, STARS, and SIMAP.
The Climate Action Plan was published in 2010 and was the result of a full year of Task Force work; information-gathering, fact-finding, and brainstorming. The report began with a working narrative of Ball State’s position within the national landscape and outlines a set of recommendations for the structure, content and implementation which can move BSU to climate neutrality. The recommendations covered Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions.
It was then updated after the installation of Ball State's geothermal system. The Executive Summary of the Task Force Report is available here.
Ball State updated the plan in 2024-2025 with the Environmental Stewardship Plan. The planning process included student, faculty, and staff focus groups, surveys, and stakeholder interviews to re-affirm our focus areas to achieve our stated goals. We are focused on building and renovating high-performing, efficient, and accessible buildings; optimizing for an efficient, multi-modal campus transportation system and fleet; reducing campus waste; and fostering a knowledgeable, values-aligned, and thriving campus culture.