Rider Urges Biden Team To Adopt Strong Carbon Reduction Goals

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Rider University joined 74 other colleges and universities, to send a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to adopt a carbon emissions target by 2030.

The institutions urged the administration to adopt at least a 50 percent target to help put the country on a path to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. In their letter, the institutions commended the Biden-Harris administration for their leadership and commitment to deter climate change.

The United States reentered the Paris Agreement in February and needs to submit a carbon emission goal soon.

"Rider, along with many other colleges and universities, have established similar ambitious goals to fight climate change," Gregory G. Dell'Omo, Rider's president said in a statement.

"We hope this letter to President Biden will help accelerate his administration's action on climate change."

The 75 institutions who signed the letter span 29 different states and include large research universities, community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges, regional comprehensive universities, and liberal arts colleges and universities.

Meanwhile, Rider has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050. The university said it was more than 25 percent toward reaching this goal and has reduced its emissions by about 40 percent since 2006.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.