UH Manoa is first university to join greenhouse gas reporting system

HONOLULU - The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has become the first university in the country — and the first organization in the state - to sign on as a Founding Reporter of The Climate Registry, a non-profit organization established to measure and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions in a common, accurate and transparent manner consistent across industry sectors.

By joining the group, the UHM has voluntarily committed to measure, independently verify, and publicly report its GHG emissions on an annual basis using The Climate Registry General Reporting Protocol. The protocol is based on the internationally recognized GHG measurement standards of the World Resource Institute and World Bank Council for Sustainable Development.

Currently 75 leading corporations, non-profit organizations, cities and counties are reporting their greenhouse gas emissions to The Climate Registry. "The UHM has demonstrated exemplary environmental leadership by courageously stepping forward to support The Climate Registry in its preliminary stages," said Gina McCarthy, chair of The Climate Registry.

The move was facilitated by the Mānoa Climate Change Commission as part of the UHM‘s aggressive strategy to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The UHM previously committed to reducing its energy use by 30 percent by 2012 and to have 25 percent of campus-wide energy use come from renewable resources by 2020.

"We are extremely pleased to be the first university to join The Climate Registry, and we urge other colleges and universities to follow," said Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw. "I commend the Mānoa Climate Change Commission for leading this effort to measure and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions."

"I applaud the UHM for becoming the first institution in Hawaiʻi to join The Climate Registry," said Laurence Lau, Hawaii state deputy environmental health director. "The emissions template developed by Mānoa provides accurate reporting that is specific to Hawaiʻi. By taking a lead, Mānoa will ease the way for others to make a public commitment to our climate."

In August 2007, Hawaiian Electric Company donated $25,000 to the Mānoa Climate Change Commission to support its efforts to measure campus greenhouse gas emissions.

"We are fortunate that some of the leading experts in the field of global climate change are right here at the University of Hawaiʻi," said Mike May, Hawaiian Electric president and CEO. "There‘s no question that global warming is one of the most important issues we face today."

About The Climate Registry

Incorporated in March 2007 in Washington, D.C., The Climate Registry provides accurate and transparent measurement of GHG emissions and ensures consistency of measurement metrics across industry sectors and borders. The Climate Registry accounting infrastructure supports both voluntary and regulatory programs. For more information, visit www.theclimateregistry.org.

About the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is the flagship research university in Hawaiʻi. A land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant institution, UHM attracts more than 20,000 students and $200 million in extramural research awards annually. UHM excels in science, indigenous and international studies, and sustainability and hosts professional programs in business, law, engineering, medicine, nursing, and education. For more information, visit www.manoa.hawaii.edu.

About the Mānoa Climate Change Commission

Appointed in February 2007, the Mānoa Climate Change Commission promotes research and public awareness of the consequences of climate change on Hawaiʻi, the nation, and beyond. The MCCC provides leadership at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to measure and reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, visit http://sustainability.hawaii.edu/group/Climate/.