About Energy2028

Read on to find out more about the origins of Energy2028.

Why 

• Often motivated by our students concerns and research, Middlebury has made and pursued numerous commitments to minimize its own impacts on the climate and to integrate it into the educational mission of the College. These efforts span its first carbon reduction goals in 2004, achieving carbon neutrality in 2016, and now Energy2028.
• Middlebury’s mission recognize’s that climate change is one of our society’s greatest challenges and higher education’s obligation to prepare students to address it after they graduate.
• Middlebury’s response to climate change builds on its history of setting ambitious goals and learning from our efforts to achieve them. 

What 

• Energy2028 is a comprehensive approach to addressing the crisis. It includes goals to change the way we approach our energy needs as an institution, and to do so in ways that involve every member of the college community. It was important to combine the four pillars as one package that touches on all aspects of our institutional activities and constituencies.

Where

• Energy2028 applies to all buildings on the Middlebury main campus that are connected to its centralized heating and power system. It does not apply to the vehicle fleet the college owns although that is also a focus of our carbon and energy reduction efforts. It does not formally include the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, although there is robust coordination across campuses and you can learn about their incredible work here.

When

• Energy2028 was adopted in 2019 by a resolution of the trustees after two years of research, dialogue and debate about what it should encompass.
• Three pillars have a 2028 goal line, divestment has a different one:
  • Middlebury will gradually reduce the number and value of direct fossil fuel investments in its endowment and, since 2020, has made no new direct investments in specialized funds with a focus on fossil fuels. Middlebury, in collaboration with its endowment manager, Investure, will reduce the value of direct fossil fuel investments by 25 percent in 5 years, by 50 percent in 8 years, and will eliminate such investments entirely within 15 years. This is necessary to meet long term commitments to particular investment commitments.
• We expect that we will continue to take further action to address the crisis after 2028. We are working on scenarios for what “Beyond2028” could look like and to set the stage for a new climate plan then.

Who

• The Trustees of Middlebury College passed a resolution enacting the Energy2028 Initiative on January 26, 2019. The resolution established a steering committee to advise the President and senior leaders on the implementation and progress of the initiative. The committee is co-chaired by the Associate Vice President of Facilities and the Dean of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs. The resolution also recognizes that the success of meeting Energy2028’s goals requires the support and participation of all departments and organizations across the College and encourages active involvement by all.  

What We Have Learned

• A collective will, and a desire to stay together even when there are significant differences in views and values, is essential to setting bold ambitious goals
• No solution is perfect and calculated risk is an essential tool - it’s about what’s significantly better than the status quo. Decisions and actions taken to change infrastructure have long timelines and big resource commitments. At the same time technology changes quickly and adaptability is an important consideration of long term choices.
• Timelines matter - too long and the urgency is lost, too short and you set up for failure - timeframes that feel uncomfortable but reachable with a strong commitment and steady attention work best.
  • Decision about these matters are often decades long in consequence. What was a good solution at the time, will likely not be as good ten years later. During that time more costs and benefits will become visible and are great learning opportunities to help inform other decisions
• Engaging students is essential and they often play a catalytic and transformative role, especially when they are willing to go deep into the “how” part of proposing change, and understanding the consequences and impacts of proposed changes.  Senior leaders and trustees working with students can be a powerful combination for learning and good decision making.
• Partners are essential and may have motives and goals you may not share, e.g., a solar installer who uses panels that cannot guarantee fair labor practices were involved in production. Also, the partner you started with may not be the one you end up with, e.g., mergers and acquisitions.