Strategic Plan - Second Nature

Our History

Second Nature has worked to expand higher education’s ability to solve pressing sustainability challenges since its founding. Since 2006, that focus has been addressing the largest environmental challenge that civilization has faced: global climate change. This was the launch year of the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments, now the longest-standing voluntary carbon reduction program in the world. From these Commitments, the Climate Leadership Network of over 400 universities and colleges was formed.

2023 Strategic Plan

Second Nature’s 2023 Strategic Plan builds on our history of implementing a robust, network-based climate leadership strategy, using our experience to drive equitable and holistic climate solutions while embracing the diversity within the sector. This new plan represents a shift and a third phase of growth for Second Nature, viewing operational decarbonization as one milestone in a suite of climate action goals — goals that are achievable through a “whole-of-higher-education” approach.

Strategic Pathways

Second Nature is focusing on four strategic pathways: Diversify to Unify, Generate, Champion, and Excel, to leverage the complementary strengths within the sector, build resources to advance institutional climate action, increase public visibility of higher education’s role in solving climate challenges, and enhance our own practices to support our Network.

2019-2022 Strategic Plan

Our 2019-2022 Strategic Plan focuses on the imperative for exponential growth in climate progress to work towards 50% decarbonization in the US economy by 2030 based on advice from the best available science. This three year plan focuses on supporting network performance and cross-sector activity with the core of our strategy centered around the expansion of valued climate services.

We will continue activating more schools as climate leaders and driving climate action with other sectors, but need “better and more of it” within this 11-year window of opportunity to act. Leveraging higher education’s innovative research and partnership strengths will be key to proactively overcome the climate emergency.