Campus Energy and Sustainability Podcast

Community colleges are emerging as powerful climate leaders, and this episode explores how institutions at different stages are turning vision into action. Host Dave Karlsgodt talks with leaders from Monterey Peninsula College, Gavilan College, and College of Marin about how financial stewardship, campus modernization, and sustainability planning are shaping resilient, future-ready campuses. 

From bond-funded infrastructure upgrades and on-the-ground implementation to the collaborative process of developing a Climate Action Plan, the conversation highlights practical lessons, shared challenges, and opportunities for regional leadership. Get an insider’s look at how community colleges are advancing climate action in ways that directly benefit students and the communities they serve. 

Transformational sustainability projects live or die at the intersection of ambition and institutional finance. This conversation pulls back the curtain on how credit ratings shape what campuses can actually approve, explaining why CFOs and boards evaluate sustainability initiatives through the lenses of risk, affordability, and long-term resilience. Using familiar examples like student housing before moving into the harder reality of energy and utility infrastructure, the discussion reframes ‘off balance sheet’ thinking and challenges common assumptions about how transformational change gets funded. The result is a clearer, more realistic foundation for sustainability leaders who want their projects to move from good ideas to executable decisions.

Electrifying vehicle fleets is no longer a distant goal—it’s happening now in school districts, cities, and campuses across the country. In this episode, we explore what it takes to transition large fleets to all-electric, from financing to infrastructure and community impact. Our guest shares lessons the K-12 perspectives, highlighting challenges and opportunities. Listeners will gain practical insights into how electrification can reduce emissions, improve health outcomes, and reshape the future of community transportation.

Energy public-private partnerships (P3s) have moved beyond the pilot phase. They’re now a serious, scalable strategy for institutions facing aging infrastructure, decarbonization targets, and budget constraints. But a maturing market also brings complexity — in procurement models, financing tools, and internal alignment. In this episode, we talk with three experienced voices from across the P3 deal table about what’s working, what’s changing, and what institutions need to understand before jumping in.

What does it take to embed sustainability across an entire university—from academic buildings to athletic arenas? In this episode, we sit down with Andy Berki, Director of the Office of Campus Sustainability, and Paul Dunlop, Associate Director of Facility Operations for Michigan Athletics, to explore how the University of Michigan is turning ambitious climate goals into everyday action. From high-impact energy and waste reduction strategies to zero-waste game days at the Big House, Andy and Paul share how Michigan is leading the way in higher education sustainability. Whether you're focused on campus operations, athletics, or institutional strategy, this episode offers real-world insights for creating a culture of sustainability that sticks.

This episode was recorded live during a session at the 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit co-sponsored by Second Nature and the Intentional Endowments Network in Long Beach, California, in February 2024. Guests from higher education and the private sector discuss the evolving nature of climate action planning and the emergence of decarbonization planning on college and university campuses. If you are a higher ed. sustainability professional trying to make sense of the alphabet soup of plans, strategies, roadmaps, and reports, this episode is for you!

In this episode, we feature guest host and recent Lewis & Clark graduate Lena Essak. Lena interviews regular host Dave Karlsgodt and two other guests: Dr. Lisa Benjamin, Associate Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School, author and climate negotiator, and Tim Swinehart, a social studies teacher from Lincoln High School in Portland, OR. The topic is climate communication.

In this episode, you'll hear a session recorded earlier this year at the 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit hosted by Second Nature and the Intentional Endowments Network. The next frontier in campus decarbonization is the transition of thermal systems away from fossil fuels. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. This expert panel shares experiences in decarbonizing campus thermal systems - from antiquated steam to efficient low temp hot water, from fossil fuels to the stable temperature of the ground. The panel will feature how to engage and collaborate with institutional constituents in the beginning stages all the way through complete projects covering planning, financing, implementation.