CHAUTAUQUA — Chautauqua Institution is joining other major countries and leaders around the world in adopting a goal to reach a net-zero carbon impact by 2050.

This goal falls in line with many major countries in the world aiming for something similar as a part of working with the United Nations. New York State also has a similar goal under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which was signed into law in July 2019.

The main focus for any place with this goal, which includes individual companies, universities, cities and institutions is to reduce carbon emissions, remove carbon from the atmosphere and introduce other strategies to help with clean energy.

Chautauqua Institution’s climate action plan that is in development is set to help them achieve net-zero carbon emissions for Institution operations by no later than 2050, ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state climate laws and policies, set annual benchmarks that progressively reduce the Institution’s greenhouse gas emissions, fund measures to improve the long-term climate resilience of the Chautauqua Lake and Institution’s grounds, create pathways for engagement and participation by relevant external stakeholders and be used by the Institution as a model to inspire climate action by others.

Mark Wenzler, Peter Nosler Director of the Chautauqua Climate Initiative for Chautauqua Institution, said that universities have been working towards this goal for over a decade and that the institution is working towards something similar.

“We plan to operate similar to what universities have been doing,” Wenzler said. “Our Board of Directors instructed us to do this, and said we need to do it by 2050. We said we would take it a step further and aim to do it in 20 years, so we can achieve this goal by 2044.”

After the summer season ends, Wenzler said the institution will be digging deep into this project and writing out plans for things such as switching to electric vehicles and working on renewable electricity across the grounds. He added that it will probably take two years to have a solid plan.

Wenzler said that Chautauqua Institution is committing to this goal to help be a leader in this kind of initiative.

“We see the legal requirements coming down the line so even if we did not want to do it the state and the country will be requiring us to comply,” Wenzler said. “The good thing is we do want to do it, because we want to be a leader in helping to solve climate change.”

Chautauqua Institution has had a climate change initiative since 2019. After the summer 2024 season ends, Wenzler said the next step will be to form work groups with specific focuses. One group will focus on the grounds, one on electricity, one on the buildings, and so on until after about a year they will all come back together with ideas to form a comprehensive plan.

“Chautauqua Institution is not doing this just for ourselves but for the region and community,” Wenzler said. “We want people to see us as a resource and to come to us with ideas and to help others do something similar. This won’t just be good for the Institution but the region as well and we want to be a resource and work with the community.”

In the future as Chautauqua Institution moves towards this goal, Wenzler said he hopes to achieve a number of things such as the institution doing their part to stop climate change, and leading others by example.

“I hope it will be a domino effect and that more people and places will then work to become sustainable,” Wenzler said. “I want Chautauqua Institution to be recognized throughout the region and country as helping to be part of the solution to stopping climate change and helping benefit others.”