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Commitments to Action on Climate Change
The Ohio State University's President Gordon Gee is a signatory of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The school submitted a climate action plan in April of 2011 stating its aim for carbon neutrality by 2050. In 2012 the University announced its intention to power 25% of the Columbus main campus with wind power. The twenty year contract with Iberdrola Renewables LLC was signed in collaboration with AEP Energy. Ohio State also has a geothermal well project on its South Oval due for completion sometime in 2013.

During the 2012 sports season Ohio Stadium achieved a 98.2% trash diversion rate. Acceptable materials were sent to recycling and compost locations in lieu of the landfill. There are an array of campus-wide initiatives working to reduce waste and improve the efficiency of campus buildings. Gordon Gee signed the University's Climate Action plan (2011) and vowed "At Ohio State, we also believe that our future competitiveness depends on being innovative leaders, developing the technologies and embracing the cultural changes necessary to thrive in a world that must reduce carbon emissions."

Energy Investments
The Ohio State University earns a "C" in Endowment Transparency and Shareholder Engagement from the College Sustainability Report Card. The University has one of the country's largest endowments--topping off at $2.1 billion in 2011. Where and how these funds are allocated in the energy sector is not clear. In 2009 President Gordon Gee stepped down as board member of Massey Energy after receiving pressure from student organizations and community groups.

There is mention of "offsets" in the University's Climate Action Plan which aim to "[reduce] the net impact of an institution's activities through financially supporting projects that elsewhere, beyond the campus, remove CO2 or other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or prevent them from reaching the atmosphere in the first place..." Campuses across the country are pursuing divestment as means of reducing their carbon footprints. It is yet to be seen if Ohio State will follow this financial sustenance strategy.