In 2015, EMU officially signed off on the Climate Action Plan, a 13-page document that lays out EMU’s commitment to becoming a climate-neutral university by 2035. The plan, accessible on EMU’s website, says the school “will strive first to reduce our carbon emissions wherever possible, and second, to invest in local or globally-affiliated projects to offset the basic emissions we are unable to reduce and still function as a university.”

Earthkeepers co-leaders and juniors Andy King and Emma Yoder are intent on using the club’s platform to promote awareness of the Climate Action Plan and its goals among the student body in anticipation of the Plan’s first check-in year, 2020. The club is holding meetings every other Thursday in the West Dining Hall at 6 p.m.

“Our main goal currently is to bring awareness to the plan, because we don’t think many students know about it,” King said. “Hopefully next year we can move into a campaign to try to get closer to those goals. We don’t know exactly what that campaign will look like; it’s going to be primarily focused on student behavior change, and maybe working with administration.”

Such behavioral change involves conscious decision-making by students to reduce their own individual energy expenditure, such as reduced shower times, reduced dryer usage, and driving less when possible. “Our goal is for students to start integrating these behaviors into their lives,” King said.

EMU has been making strides in some areas. The composting system and the LEED certification, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement, of certain buildings on campus are two areas that King points to as progressive sustainability efforts on campus. “[EMU has] done a good job making sure that when they build new buildings that they build them efficiently,” said King.

Earthkeepers has launched its own efforts to promote sustainability on campus, the most noteworthy being the installation of more than 70 solar panels on top of the University Commons and Roselawn. Earlier this semester, the club hosted Paul Wilson and Jeeva Abate, two men at the forefront of the fight in their communities against the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Becoming climate neutral by 2035 is no small feat, and the objective has run into issues since the Climate Action Plan was put into place in 2015.

“Essentially, at this point, nothing has been done,” Yoder said. “We’ve looked at the numbers, and every single sector has increased rather than decreased.”

Yoder points largely to the financial struggles EMU has endured as a reason for sustainability being pushed toward the sidelines.

“I would say EMU was really pushing sustainability five years ago, before all the budgetary issues,” Yoder said. “It was really exciting, and there was a lot of energy five years ago. In the past couple years, especially since we’ve been here, I think that energy has severely decreased. I think that’s partially because everything that’s easy to do has been done, and EMU deserves credit for that. But now for the next steps to be taken, we will have to address the bigger, more difficult goals— goals that are difficult in and of themselves, and then when we’re already suffering from budgetary issues it’s hard to push for those things.”

Examples of these more difficult issues on the path to becoming climate neutral include offsetting the output of student groups’ cross cultural flights and offsetting energy that students and faculty use commuting to and from EMU.

Yoder and King expressed disappointment in certain aspects of EMU’s sustainability efforts, including the continued use of styrofoam at the Royals Den and the installation of a natural gas generator.

Moving forward, Earthkeepers will largely focus on stimulating further student engagement with and awareness of the Climate Action Plan. The club wants to hear from students.

“We want students who care even a little bit to come [to our meetings],” Yoder said.

“We want to hear your voices and what you’re passionate about,” said King.

Earthkeepers’ next meeting on the Climate Action Plan is Thursday, Mar. 28 at 6 p.m. in the West Dining Hall.