Stockton University joins 1,219 governors, mayors, businesses, investors, colleges and universities that have signed this open letter to the international community and parties to the Paris Agreement from U.S. state, local, and business leaders:

Open letter to the international community and parties to the Paris Agreement from U.S. state, local, and business leaders:

We, the undersigned mayors, governors, college and university leaders, businesses, and investors are joining forces for the first time to declare that we will continue to support climate action to meet the Paris Agreement.

In December 2015 in Paris, world leaders signed the first global commitment to fight climate change. The landmark agreement succeeded where past attempts failed because it allowed each country to set its own emission reduction targets and adopt its own strategies for reaching them. In addition, nations - inspired by the actions of local and regional governments, along with businesses - came to recognize that fighting climate change brings significant economic and public health benefits.

The Trump administration's announcement undermines a key pillar in the fight against climate change and damages the world's ability to avoid the most dangerous and costly effects of climate change. Importantly, it is also out of step with what is happening in the United States.

In the U.S., it is local and state governments, along with businesses, that are primarily responsible for the dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. Actions by each group will multiply and accelerate in the years ahead, no matter what policies Washington may adopt.

In the absence of leadership from Washington, states, cities, colleges and universities, businesses and investors, representing a sizeable percentage of the U.S. economy will pursue ambitious climate goals, working together to take forceful action and to ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions.

It is imperative that the world know that in the U.S., the actors that will provide the leadership necessary to meet our Paris commitment are found in city halls, state capitals, colleges and universities, investors and businesses. Together, we will remain actively engaged with the international community as part of the global effort to hold warming to well below 2°C and to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy that will benefit our security, prosperity, and health.

Click here to read full press release.

Companies, investors, mayors and governors wishing to add their name to the statement can do so by registering here. Colleges and universities wishing to add their name can do so by registering here.

Higher Education

• Christine Riordan, President of Adelphi University
• Raymond Crossman, President of Adler University
• Elizabeth Kiss, President of Agnes Scott College
• James Mullen, President of Allegheny College
• Sylvia Burwell, President of American University
• Carolyn Martin, President of Amherst College
• Sara Wenger Shenk, President of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
• Thomas Manley, President of Antioch College (OH)
• Melinda Treadwell, Provost of Antioch University New England
• Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University
• Paul Pribbenow, President of Augsburg College
• Robert Goldberg, President of Barnard College
• Clayton Spencer, President of Bates College
• Mariko Silver, President of Bennington College
• Lyle Roelofs, President of Berea College
• Ellen Kennedy, President of Berkshire Community College
• Robert Kustra, President of Boise State University
• Glen LeRoy, President of Boston Architectural College
• Mickey Burnim, President of Bowie State University
• Ronald Liebowitz, President of Brandeis University
• John Sbrega, President of Bristol Community College
• Thom Chesney, President of Brookhaven College
• Kimberly Cassidy, President of Bryn Mawr College
• John Bravman, President of Bucknell University
• Christopher Kimball, President of California Lutheran University
• Jeffrey Armstrong, President of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
• Timothy White, Chancellor of California State University System
• Gayle Hutchinson, President of California State University-Chico
• Leroy Morishita, President of California State University-East Bay
• Jane Conoley, President of California State University-Long Beach
• Dianne Harrison, President of California State University-Northridge
• Robert Nelsen, President of California State University-Sacramento
• Gregory Smith, President of Central Community College
• William Guerriero, Interim President of Chandler-Gilbert Community College
• David Finegold, President of Chatham University
• James Milliken, Chancellor of City University of New York (CUNY)
• David Angel, President of Clark University
• Anthony Collins, President of Clarkson University
• David McInally, President of Coe College
• Susan Stuebner, President of Colby-Sawyer College
• Brian Casey, President of Colgate University
• Darron Collins, President of College of the Atlantic
• Lee Bollinger, President of Columbia University
• Katherine Bergeron, President of Connecticut College
• Maria Thompson, President of Coppin State University
• Carol Quillen, President of Davidson College
• Jean Goodnow, President of Delta College
• Adam Weinberg, President of Denison University
• Neil Weissman, Acting President of Dickinson College
• Elsa Núñez, President of Eastern Connecticut State University
• Mary Cullinan, President of Eastern Washington University
• Donald Eastman, President of Eckerd College
• Lee Pelton, President of Emerson College
• Janet Eisner, President of Emmanuel College
• Jake Schrum, President of Emory & Henry College
• F. Javier Cevallos, President of Framingham State University
• Ronald Nowaczyk, President of Frostburg State University
• Elizabeth Davis, President of Furman University
• Robert Kenny, Interim President of Goddard College
• José Bowen, President of Goucher College
• Robert Pura, President of Greenfield Community College
• Raynard Kington, President of Grinnell College
• Jane Fernandes, President of Guilford College
• Jonathan Lash, President of Hampshire College
• Kimberly Benston, President of Haverford College
• Lisa Rossbacher, President of Humboldt State University
• Alan Cramb, President of Illinois Institute of Technology
• James Troha, President of Juniata College
• Jorge Gonzalez, President of Kalamazoo College
• Dawood Farahi, President of Kean University
• Leslie Bellavance, President of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
• Sean Decatur, President of Kenyon College
• Alison Byerly, President of Lafayette College
• Linda Lujan, President of Lamar Community College
• Mary Spilde, President of Lane Community College
• Lewis Thayne, President of Lebanon Valley College
• Jo Ann Rooney, President of Loyola University Chicago
• Kevin Wildes, President of Loyola University New Orleans
• Paula Carlson, President of Luther College
• Brian Rosenberg, President of Macalester College
• Kevinq Quigley, President of Marlboro College
• David Podell, President of Massachusetts Bay Community College
• Lou Anna Simon, President of Michigan State University
• Laurie Patton, President of Middlebury College
• John Anderson, President of Millersville University of Pennsylvania
• Debra Derr, President of Mt. Hood Community College
• Charles Lief, President of Naropa University
• Milan Milasinovic, President of New England Culinary Institute
• Joel Bloom, President of New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Michael Young, President of New York Film Academy
• Andrew Hamilton, President of New York University
• Christa Slejko, President of North Lake College
• Joseph Aoun, President of Northeastern University
• Morton Schapiro, President of Northwestern University
• Marvin Krislov, President of Oberlin College
• Jonathan Veitch, President of Occidental College
• Lawrence Schall, President of Oglethorpe University
• Allan Belton, President of Pacific Lutheran University
• Thomas Ramage, President of Parkland College
• Cathy Dove, President of Paul Smith's College
• Eric Barron, President of Pennsylvania State University
• Melvin Oliver, President of Pitzer College
• Mark Mitsui, President of Portland Community College
• Wim Wiewel, President of Portland State University
• John Flicker, President of Prescott College
• Thomas Schwarz, President of Purchase College, State University of New York
• Carlee Drummer, President of Quinebaug Valley Community College
• Peter Mercer, President of Ramapo College of New Jersey
• Bradley Bateman, President of Randolph College
• William Destler, President of Rochester Institute of Technology
• Donald Farish, President of Roger Williams University
• Robert Barchi, President of Rutgers the State University of New Jersey New Brunswick Campus
• James Dlugos, President of Saint Joseph's College of Maine
• Eugene Cornacchia, President of Saint Peter's University
• Janet Dudley-Eshbach, President of Salisbury University
• Stephen Sundborg, S.J., President of Seattle University
• Kathleen McCartney, President of Smith College
• Linda Schott, President of Southern Oregon University
• David Evans, President of Southern Vermont College
• Mary Campbell, President of Spelman College
• Tuajuanda Jordan, President of St. Mary's College of Maryland
• Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor of State University of New York (SUNY)
• James Stellar, Interim President of State University of New York at Albany
• Donald Christian, President of State University of New York at New Paltz
• Deborah Stanley, President of State University of New York College at Oswego
• Quentin Wheeler, President of State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• Harvey Kesselman, President of Stockton University
• Kristine Young, President of SUNY Orange
• Valerie Smith, President of Swarthmore College
• Steven Knapp, President of The George Washington University
• David Van Zandt, President of The New School
• Kim Schatzel, President of Towson University
• Patricia McGuire, President of Trinity Washington University
• Joanne Berger-Sweeney, President of Trinity College
• Karin Hilgersom, President of Truckee Meadows Community College
• Anthony Monaco, President of Tufts University
• Stephen Ainlay, President of Union College (NY)
• Melik Khoury, President of Unity College
• Nicholas Dirks, Chancellor of University of California, Berkeley
• Ralph Hexter, Interim Chancellor of University of California, Davis
• Howard Gillman, Chancellor of University of California, Irvine
• Dorothy Leland, Chancellor of University of California, Merced
• Kim Wilcox, Chancellor of University of California, Riverside
• Pradeep Khosla, Chancellor of University of California, San Diego
• Susan Herbst, President of University of Connecticut
• Eric Spina, President of University of Dayton
• Dennis Assanis, President of University of Delaware
• Rebecca Chopp, Chancellor of University of Denver
• Louise Pagotto, Interim Chancellor of University of Hawai'i Kapi'olani Community College
• Helen Cox, Chancellor of University of Hawai'i Kaua'i Community College
• David Lassner, President of University of Hawai'i System
• J. Bruce Harreld, President of University of Iowa
• Jay Perman, President of University of Maryland Baltimore
• Freeman Hrabowski III, President of University of Maryland Baltimore County
• Donald Boesch, President of University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
• Wallace Loh, President of University of Maryland College Park
• Juliette Bell, President of University of Maryland Eastern Shore
• Javier Miyares, President of University of Maryland University College
• Kumble Subbaswamy, Chancellor of University of Massachusetts Amherst
• J. Keith Motley, Chancellor of University of Massachusetts Boston
• Michelle Behr, Chancellor of University of Minnesota-Morris
• Mark Huddleston, President of University of New Hampshire
• Michael Schill, President of University of Oregon
• Ronald Crutcher, President of University of Richmond
• Paul Fitzgerald S.J., President of University of San Francisco
• Harris Pastides, President of University of South Carolina Columbia
• Ana Mari Cauce, President of University of Washington
• Robert Caret, Chancellor of University System of Maryland
• Jonathan Chenette, President of Vassar College
• Thomas Greene, President of Vermont College of Fine Arts
• Marc Mihaly, President and Dean of Vermont Law School
• Peter Donohue, President of Villanova University
• Scott Miller, President of Virginia Wesleyan College
• Paula Johnson, President of Wellesley College
• Jonathan Gibralter, President of Wells College
• Michael Roth, President of Wesleyan University
• John Dunn, President of Western Michigan University
• Lee Rasch, President of Western Technical College
• Sabah Randhawa, President of Western Washington University
• Dennis Hanno, President of Wheaton College (MA)
• Kathleen Murray, President of Whitman College
• Adam Falk, President of Williams College
• Richard Helton, Interim President of Wittenberg University

About This Effort

This statement was coordinated by The B Team, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Center for American Progress, Ceres, CDP, Climate Mayors, Climate Nexus, C40, C2ES, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Entrepreneurs, Georgetown Climate Center, ICLEI, National League of Cities, Rocky Mountain Institute, Second Nature, Sierra Club, The Climate Group, We Mean Business, and World Wildlife Fund.