Report on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation at Dartmouth College in Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Observed Climate Impacts and Regional Vulnerabilities

The Upper Valley region, encompassing areas of New Hampshire and Vermont, is experiencing significant climate-related challenges that directly impact community well-being and infrastructure. These events underscore the urgency of addressing SDG 13 (Climate Action) at a local level. According to Rachel Kent, Program Coordinator for the Dartmouth Sustainability Office, observable changes since 2017 include:

• Altered Weather Patterns: Winters are becoming shorter and warmer, resulting in a diminished and less persistent snowpack. The spring and fall “shoulder seasons” are contracting.
• Intense Precipitation and Flooding: An increase in precipitation is occurring in concentrated, high-volume deluge events. This has led to severe flooding, as seen in Vermont in 2023, causing extensive damage to farmland, homes, and businesses, which directly impacts SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) through stormwater management challenges.
• Extreme Heat Events: Summers are becoming hotter, creating a public health issue that aligns with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Much of the regional infrastructure, including residential buildings, is not equipped with air conditioning, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly, the sick, and the unhoused.

Institutional Strategies for Resilient Infrastructure and Clean Energy

Dartmouth College is actively implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies that align with multiple Sustainable Development Goals. The focus is on building resilience and reducing the institution’s carbon footprint.

1. Infrastructure Adaptation (SDG 9 & SDG 11): The College is undertaking critical infrastructure projects to adapt to new weather realities. This includes constructing larger bridges and culverts to manage increased water flow and implementing advanced stormwater management systems on campus.
2. Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization (SDG 7 & SDG 13): A central component of the College’s climate strategy is a comprehensive decarbonization plan. A major initiative involves replacing an inefficient steam-based heating system with a modern hot water distribution system. This transition is projected to increase efficiency from 55% to a significantly higher level, reducing overall campus energy consumption by 20% and directly contributing to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).
3. Geo-Exchange Implementation (SDG 7, SDG 9, & SDG 13): The College is investing in geo-exchange technology, which utilizes the earth’s subsurface as a thermal battery. This system provides efficient, low-carbon heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. As both a mitigation and adaptation strategy, it advances goals for clean energy, innovative infrastructure, and climate action. The inclusion of cooling capabilities also addresses the health and well-being concerns outlined in SDG 3.

Academic Research and Collaborative Partnerships

Dartmouth College’s commitment to climate action is reinforced by extensive academic research, fostering innovation and collaboration in line with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Climate Science and Modeling: Researchers like Justin Mankin (Geography) and Jonathan Winter focus on climate modeling, weather patterns, and the interplay between climate change and agriculture.
• Risk Assessment and Resilience: Klaus Keller (Engineering) examines climate change risk, while Erich Osterberg and Carl Renshaw (Earth Sciences) work directly with community partners to build local climate resilience.
• Community-Engaged Infrastructure Projects: The Culvert Crawlers project, led by Charis Boke (Anthropology) and Sarah Kelly (Geography), is a prime example of SDG 17 in action. The project partners with communities in Vermont to assess and improve stormwater infrastructure, directly supporting SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Conclusion: Emphasizing Community Resilience and Human Agency

The effects of climate change are not a distant threat but a present reality. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events highlights the importance of immediate and sustained action. A critical factor in regional resilience is the strength of social infrastructure and community ties, a core tenet of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). These “unnatural disasters” often have a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, reinforcing the need for equitable solutions. It is imperative to recognize that every fraction of a degree of warming prevented has a positive impact, and there remains significant agency to mitigate future climate scenarios and build a more resilient and sustainable future for all.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 13: Climate Action: The article’s central theme is climate change, discussing its local impacts like extreme weather and the actions being taken for mitigation and adaptation.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The text focuses on making the local community and campus infrastructure resilient to climate-related disasters such as flooding and heat waves, and addresses the well-being of vulnerable populations.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article details specific measures to improve energy efficiency and transition to cleaner energy systems, such as geo-exchange, to decarbonize the campus.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The discussion covers upgrading and building sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including bridges, culverts, and energy distribution systems.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
     
     The article directly addresses this by describing Dartmouth’s work on “adaptation,” which includes “creating bigger bridges and larger culverts” to handle intense precipitation and flooding, and installing air conditioning to cope with “extreme heat.” The geo-exchange system is also cited as an “adaptation strategy.”
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into policies, strategies and planning.
     
     Dartmouth College is integrating climate measures into its institutional planning through its “decarbonization plan” and major infrastructure changes, such as replacing inefficient steam tunnels. This represents a localized strategy to combat climate change.
   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change.
     
     The article highlights research at the college by numerous professors on climate impacts. It specifically mentions the “Culvert Crawlers project,” which “assesses and improves stormwater infrastructure” and “includes community education.” The interview itself serves as a tool for awareness-raising.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and… decrease the direct economic losses… caused by disasters… with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
     
     The article notes that 2023 floods in Vermont “devastated farmland, houses and businesses.” It also points out that extreme heat is a “wellbeing issue” and that “Vulnerable communities like the elderly, sick and houseless face those impacts disproportionately.” Adaptation efforts are aimed at mitigating these effects.
   • Target 11.b: Substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters.
     
     The college’s comprehensive approach, which includes both “mitigation and adaptation” strategies like the decarbonization plan, energy efficiency improvements, and resilient infrastructure projects (bridges, culverts), represents an integrated plan for climate resilience at the community level.

3. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
     
     The implementation of “geo-exchange, which uses the subsurface of the earth as a thermal battery,” is a direct effort to “decarbonize our energy system” by moving towards a more sustainable energy source for heating and cooling.
   • Target 7.3: Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
     
     The article states that the college is “drastically increasing our energy efficiency” through measures like “more efficient light bulbs or appliances” and replacing inefficient steam tunnels with “hot water transition lines.” This is expected to result in a 20% decrease in energy consumption.

4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support… human well-being.
     
     The college is actively working to develop resilient infrastructure by “creating bigger bridges and larger culverts” to manage flooding and replacing “outdated tunnels” with a more efficient system. Installing air conditioning is an infrastructure upgrade to address the “wellbeing issue” of extreme heat.
   • Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure… to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies.
     
     The transition from inefficient steam heating to “vastly more efficient” hot water lines and the adoption of “geo-exchange” technology are clear examples of upgrading infrastructure to be more sustainable and efficient.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Indicator for Target 13.1: The implementation of adaptation strategies, such as the number of larger bridges and culverts built, the extent of stormwater management systems, and the number of buildings retrofitted with air conditioning or cooled by the geo-exchange system.
   • Indicator for Target 13.3: The number of research projects on climate change, the number of community members reached through education programs like the “Culvert Crawlers project,” and the number of students participating in “experiential learning opportunities” with the Sustainability Office.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Indicator for Target 11.5: A reduction in damage to infrastructure (farmland, houses, businesses) from future flooding events. A reduction in heat-related health incidents, particularly among vulnerable groups.
   • Indicator for Target 11.b: The formal adoption and implementation of the college’s decarbonization and adaptation plans.

3. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Indicator for Target 7.2: The percentage of campus energy for heating and cooling that is supplied by the geo-exchange system once implemented.
   • Indicator for Target 7.3: The measured decrease in campus energy consumption, with a specific metric being the stated goal of a “20% decrease” after the transition to hot water lines is complete.

4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Indicator for Target 9.1 & 9.4: The number and scale of completed infrastructure projects (new bridges, culverts, hot water lines). The measured improvement in energy efficiency (the 20% reduction) serves as an indicator of sustainable retrofitting.

Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thedartmouth.com