Dive Brief:
- The presidents of nearly 120 colleges and universities signed a pledge affirming that their institutions were “still in” on the attempts to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and reduce the effects of climate change, despite President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the accord, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports.
- Many of these schools had already made efforts to work towards reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, but the signing of the pledge is reaffirming the need for action and signaling continued resistance to the president’s policies, according to supporters.
- Supporters argued that the pledge, which was also signed by governors, mayors and other leaders, helps signify to the international community that many U.S. institutions, businesses, cities and states remain committed to solving this global problem, even if the White House is not.
Dive Insight:
According to a UT Austin poll conducted prior to the election last November, 91% of respondents under the age of 35 said climate change was occurring. With such an overwhelming majority of younger adults affirming the reality of climate change, applicants may warm to universities that are seen as engaging in resistance to anti-environmental policies, and students could consider it an attribute if they feel the potential for engaging in that struggle is possible at a particular school.
Additionally, if students viewed environmental advocacy as a reason to gravitate toward a particular college, it could counter, at least to a small extent, how schools may have been negatively affected by the president. A recent study found that nearly 40% of surveyed colleges reported a drop in international enrollment that could be due to Trump’s policy proposals and rhetoric. Still, it's also worth considering that cuts to institutional research funding could render these climate change commitments irrelevant.