Carbon Neutrality

CN2030

Pomona College is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, eliminating net greenhouse gas emissions from heating and cooling buildings, air travel and daily commuting. While we’ve made significant progress, reaching this goal requires continued innovation, bold action and collective commitment.

Our Carbon Footprint

Pomona College established its emissions inventory in the 2010 Sustainability Action Plan, focusing on areas where the College has direct responsibility and reliable data access.

Pomona's greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory includes the following categories:

Pomona's GHG inventory is consistent with those of other higher education institutions. However, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol's Corporate Standard includes several categories that Pomona does not currently account for: 

• Other purchased goods and services, such as food and furniture
• Capital goods, such as buildings, major renovations, vehicles, and large equipment purchases
• Upstream transportation and distribution of purchased goods other than electricity
• Ground travel for employees or students
• Student travel to/from home
• Investments

To see emissions trends, please view our SAVE Annual Report.

Our Strategy

Pomona College prioritizes reducing on-campus emissions as the primary path to carbon neutrality. However, some emissions—such as those from air travel for research, conferences and study abroad—are essential to Pomona’s mission. To address these, the College will invest in high-quality carbon credits to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

1. Efficiency: Upgrade equipment, technology and buildings to reduce energy demand.
2. Operations: Optimize building use and promote sustainable behaviors.
3. On-Site Renewables: Expand small-scale renewable energy projects on campus.
4. Off-Site Renewables & Offsets: Invest in large-scale renewable energy and verified carbon offset projects.

This holistic approach fosters innovation, responsibility and impact, driving meaningful environmental and social change for our campus and beyond.

Carbon Offset Purchasing Policy

In 2022, the Board of Trustees’ Facilities and Environment Committee formed a CN2030 subcommittee to develop a strategy for achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The subcommittee recommended prioritizing on-campus decarbonization before purchasing high-quality carbon credits to offset unavoidable emissions, with a long-term goal of reducing reliance on offsets. To guide the selection of high-quality credits, the subcommittee established a Carbon Offset Policy based on key values, criteria and preferences.

Values

1. Prioritize operational changes before relying on offsets.
2. Maintain transparency in emissions and offset reporting.
3. Purchase only high-quality offsets.
4. Reduce long-term dependence on offsets.

Carbon Offset Selection Criteria

1. Registered with a third party and rated highly.
2. Meets high-quality standards for additionality, leakage and permanence.
3. Ensures accurate crediting.

Preferences

1. Supports or enhances academic experiences.
2. Provides social, environmental and economic co-benefits.
3. Ensures portfolio diversity.

This policy ensures Pomona’s offset strategy aligns with integrity, impact and long-term sustainability goals.