Transcript Slide 1
Campus Sustainability:
Where are the Opportunities?
Lyle Benko & M.J. Barrett
A belief:
Education is
crucial to
attaining a
sustainable
future
Campuses that Teach
“What lessons are taught by the way we design,
build, and operate academic buildings?”
• David Orr, Earth in Mind, 1994
Campuses that Teach
Buildings/ processes
teach
Role modeling
Living Laboratory
Learning from action
University of Waterloo WATgreen
Mission:
Transform the U of W into a showcase of
environmental responsibility
Provide opportunities for students, staff, and
faculty to improve the quality of their environment
Assist with the financial and environmental
efficiency of the University.
Key features of WATgreen
Staff position
Administrative
support
Policies
Multi-stakeholder
Committee
Student-run office
Project-based Course
WATgreen Initiatives
Policy-supported
initiatives:
Recycled paper
Lawn spraying
Chemical disposal
Materials consumption
Materials reduction
Biodegradable products
Greening the Campus
Course
Future areas of focus:
Water
Waste
Landscape
management
Energy
University of British Columbia Campus Sustainability Office
Vision:
to make UBC the leading Canadian university in
demonstrating the means to a sustainable
community through the fair, wise and efficient
use of:
economic
social
ecological resources
within the bounds of a finite planet.
Key features of UBC Campus
Sustainability Office
Staff position
Administrative support
Sustainability
Coordinators
University-Wide Policy
Track savings
Financed through
savings
UBC Initiatives
Operations:
Sustainability
Coordinator
Paper reduction
Energy Management
Composting Project
Sustainability Circles
TrekSTEP 1
UBC Sustainability
Pledge
Planning:
UBC Seeds
Land Use Planning
Energy & Water use
plan
Design & Development:
Green Buildings
Building the Business Case
Image: Business as usual, but better than usual
Not too political…keeping credibility & partners
The UBC Business Case
Reduced
energy use by 4%
(student body increased 11%)
Decreased
$35
water use 21%
million energy and water retrofit
($3 million/yr; 15 year payback)
Additional Initiatives
Universal bus pass
Carpool program
Emergency ride home
Alternative food
services
Fair trade coffee
Promote reusable
mug use
Dump & Run
Recycled paper
Recycled paper
towels
Brown bag lunch
series
Ad-free space
Carpool program
Emergency ride home
Student union
initiatives
Course links &
assignment shifting
How to Institutionalize
Sustainability
office
Embed content & projects in course(s)
Ongoing student group
Full time staff
Policy
Faculty incentives
Sustainability coordinators
Track savings
Top down
&
Bottom up
Integration
volunteerism
coursework
job opportunities
Giving people permission & an opportunity
to do what they really would like to do.
For Discussion
Where are the opportunties?
Within
our courses?
Within our building?
Within the campus?
Within the community?