鈥淭he primary mission of the 91探花 is the preservation, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge.鈥�
– September 26,聽2016, 聽Board of Regents Policy
Conservationists have said that we don鈥檛 inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. As a research university and institution of higher education, we at the 91探花are by nature, future-focused. Through the power of education and discovery, we help create the future, advancing and disseminating knowledge. But, we also preserve it, connecting past to future.
As a global leader in environmental science research, the 91探花 is home to the nation鈥檚 largest and most comprehensive College of the Environment. Our researchers include some of the world鈥檚 leading authorities on the impact of global warming and are at the forefront of developing new models that refine climate change projections. Climate change is not only real, it is urgent. We must take action today.
That is why, along with almost a hundred of our university peers as well as Governor Inslee and other governors, mayors and business leaders, we have become signatories of the letter stating that, in the absence of leadership from the federal government, we remain in solidarity with those around the world committed to a transition to clean energy and to holding global warming to well below 2掳C.
This decision is in keeping with our University鈥檚 commitment to sustainability as a core value. We are proud that we have been on the 鈥淕reen Honor Roll鈥� for colleges and universities for six years in a row and of the many that we garner each year. We are a charter signatory to the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), and have in place an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral. We are also world leaders in the development of green technologies and clean energy and a focus on sustainability and climate change is one of the pillars of our Population Health Initiative.
Residing in one of the most beautiful parts of the planet, we like to say that sustainability is in our nature. The 91探花 and our faculty, students and staff are committed to finding solutions that will preserve the Earth’s ability to support not just humanity, but also the rich ecosystems we depend on and which make our world such a remarkable place. This mission of preservation, or conservation — of ensuring that the benefits we have enjoyed are still there for our children and theirs — goes beyond 鈥渒nowledge鈥� in the narrow sense of the word. It includes the earth itself, as it literally holds the seeds that nourish life. This is not a matter of politics. It is a matter of principle and survival.