Agnes Scott College announced today that its joint Climate Resilience Plan partnership with the City of Decatur, Georgia, will receive national recognition at the 2026 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in Chicago. The Climate Luminary Honors is a program of the non-profit Second Nature, which has worked to accelerate climate action in and through higher education since 1993. Agnes Scott College is being recognized for the college's engagement in impactful climate action work on campus and the local community, with particular emphasis on its climate resilience work. 

For more than a decade, Agnes Scott College and the City of Decatur have partnered to address the place-based impacts from climate change and create collaborative frameworks to alleviate the pressures on our residents and community members. Through the joint Climate Resilience Plan (CRP), this partnership leverages the unique skills and resources of a local government and higher education institution. Together, Agnes Scott and Decatur are advancing transferable solutions that peer institutions and municipalities can adapt to build their own partnerships, address climate challenges, and prepare the next generation of climate action professionals. 

Community engagement, student professional development and local partnerships are the keystones to the success of this shared initiative. Since 2021, the Climate Resilience Plan implementation has resulted in regional impact pilot projects with the Atlanta Regional Commission and DeKalb Emergency Management Agency, workforce development opportunities for more than150 undergraduate, graduate and high school students, and capacity building to support community partners. 

In addition to the two lead partner organizations, the CRP Task Force and five working Subcommittees include representatives from Columbia Theological Seminary, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL), MLK Jr. Service Project, City Schools of Decatur (CSD) and the Wylde Center. In addition to the leadership of Agnes Scott students analyzing data, establishing pilot programs and researching best practices, the CRP has also engaged students from CSD’s Science National Honor Society, Georgia State University’s Urban Studies Institute, Emory University’s Community Building & Social Change Fellowship Program, and Georgia Tech’s Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN) Summer Fellows Program. 

“I am thrilled that Agnes Scott has been nationally recognized for the local climate action work of creating a joint Climate Resilience Plan in partnership with the City of Decatur,” Agnes Scott President, Leocadia I. Zak remarks.

She continues, “It is especially gratifying that the framework can be used as a model by others. Working together with our partners, we are addressing one of the most challenging problems of our time.” 

These investments in climate resilience through community partnerships are in response to the national non-profit, Second Nature’s charge that in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, colleges and universities must also lead in climate resilience. In May 2014, Agnes Scott was one of 30 founding signatories of Second Nature’s resilience commitment, building upon the college’s existing 2037 carbon neutrality commitment, which is also championed by Second Nature. 

For more information about Agnes Scott and City of Decatur’s Climate Resilience Plan, please contact [email protected]. The Climate Resilience Plan and supporting documentation can be found here: https://www.agnesscott.edu/center-for-sustainability/energy-and-climate-action-plan/climate-resilience-plan.html