The plan hinges on investing a minimum of $100 million in campus infrastructure improvements between now and 2037.
The Brunswick-based college said the plan will focus on producing renewable electricity, increasing the energy efficiency of its buildings and transitioning to a fossil fuel-free heating system, while maintaining the ability to adapt as newer technologies emerge.
Key elements of the plan include providing 100 percent of the electricity used on campus from renewable energy sources generated in Maine through solar and hyrdopower by the end of 2023.
Another feature will be creating tighter building envelopes and rebuilding the college's heating infrastructure system to reduce carbon emissions over the next 15 years. The second phase of producing clean heat during Maine winters will involve replacing the college's gas-fired central heating plant with an alternative energy station in 2038.
"Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our lifetimes," Bowdoin College President Clayton Rose said in a statement. "Sustainable Bowdoin 2042 is about securing the future for our students, and for the world beyond our campus, through living our commitment to sustainability and in the education we provide."
A copy of the Sustainable Bowdoin 2042 report can be viewed at bowdoin.edu/climate-action-plan.
©2022 the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
