Mayor Bloomberg Visits Pratt

Mayor Michael Bloomberg held a press conference on the Pratt Institute campus this afternoon with representatives from nine colleges and universities during which they announced their commitment to reducing their institutions' greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over the next 10 years. The initiative is part of the Mayor's PlaNYC 2030 campaign to make the city more environmentally sustainable while accomodating significant residential growth over the next few decades.

In addition to Pratt Institute, the first nine 2030 Challenge Partners include Barnard College, Columbia University, Cooper Union, all 23 campuses of the City University of New York (CUNY), Fordham University, New York University, St. John’s University, and the New School University.

In recent years, Pratt has demonstrated its commitment to addressing climate change and its impact on the environment by increasing the vegetation on campus and by using electric security vehicles throughout campus. A campus organization called Sustainable Pratt brings together members of the campus community who are dedicated to incorporating sustainability into curricula, operations, and programs. For more information, visit www.sustainablepratt.org. According to Anthony Gelber, Pratt Institute Sustainability Coordinator for Facilities and Operations, Pratt plans to complete a preliminary campus audit of greenhouse gas emissions so it can begin to identify strategies to decrease energy usage on campus. Pratt is also looking to make all new construction green and will work closely with the City of New York in developing innovative strategies for retrofitting existing urban properties for greater sustainability, including historic buildings.

The full press release from Pratt Institute is here.

The City's press release is here.