In May 2011, Carleton college’s Board of Trustees adopted its first Climate Action Plan, a document that compiles both short and long-term strategies to become climate neutral (net zero carbon emissions) by the year 2050.  Carleton authored the document as part of its participation in the 670+ member President’s Climate Commitment which unites higher ed institutions under the conviction that “…colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality.”