McGill University
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Education and Research:
McGill’s outstanding academic credentials include a longtime dedication to sustainability leadership in education and research in individual faculties/departments. McGill University’s Faculties of Arts, Science and Agricultural and Environmental Sciences pooled their resources to create the McGill School of Environment (MSE) in 2002. More recently, the Provost made provision for sustainability in academic departments in his Strengths and Aspirations white paper. The University is also an active participant in the United Nations University Institute for Advances Studies’ Regional Centre of Expertise for education for sustainable development (Montreal). The University is a member institution of AASHE, and it is actively represented at the CREPUQ.
In addition to the environmental programs offered by the MSE, the University has a Masters program in Environmental Engineering, minors in Environment and Environmental Engineering, and a Masters of Environmental Impact Assessment. Students also have the opportunity to attend field schools (e.g., Barbados and Panama Field Semesters).
Research. Sustainability research is undertaken in a wide variety of domains – examples:
- The Brace Centre for Water Resources Management brings together staff from several McGill faculties, to undertake research, teaching, specialized training, and policy and strategic studies in water resources management, both in Canada and internationally.
- The ArcticNet research consortium evaluates the impact of climate change on northern communities.
- The Global Environmental and Climate Change Centre (GEC3) is a cross-disciplinary, multi-university research centre bringing together more than 40 researchers from five Quebec universities to study processes, modelling and impact of environmental and climate change.
- The VERT group focuses on research on alternative (fuel) vehicles, including the solar car and electric snowmobile projects.
In addition to research centres, individual faculties and departments have courses that include sustainability themes, such as the Social Context of Business course in Management, an Environmental Law stream in the Faculty of Law, and civil engineering courses with a focus on sustainability and life cycle costing.
Co-Curricular Education. The Sub-Committee on Environment works with the School of Environment and other faculties/departments (e.g. Management and Engineering) to provide students with opportunities to advance their studies by conducting research and implementing projects that could be of practical use to University operations as co-curricular opportunities. The Sustainability Office is currently working with the “First-Year Transition Network”, an initiative of Student Services: “the goal is to build an infrastructure and network to help integrate First-Year students’ within and beyond the McGill University campus through activities focused on civic engagement, projects and mentoring programs”.
The University Residences hires student coordinators to lead the Environmental Residences Council, whose membership consists of one student representative from each of the University residence buildings. The students are encouraged to lead sustainability projects in their residences.
Faculty and Staff Development. The Sustainability Office offers workshops to staff on an ad hoc basis, on topics such as green office practices, greening events, green driving practices, recycling, etc. The University continues to send its staff (and students) to conferences and workshops to stay informed about developments in the areas affecting campus sustainability.
Campus Operations:
Building. Standards are being developed to formally address sustainability in buildings, from design to treatment of construction/demolition waste.
Climate/energy. Infrastructure investments have been made to significantly reduce energy consumption even prior to development of an energy efficiency plan. As a result, overall emissions have been reduced by 20% since the 2002-2003 academic year (baseline),
Dining services. Examples of Residences and Dining Services’ commitment to sustainability include reduced (or more sustainable) packaging; reusable dishware discounts; fair trade/organic goods, cage-free eggs, halal meat products, sustainable seafood; vegetarian/vegan menu items prepared using designated utensils; sourcing from local producers (90% of produce is local when in season); recycling cooking oil (all trans fat free); and educating clients re. food related issues. Bottled water is no longer offered in Residences lunchboxes.
Grounds. The University is the proprietor of the largest privately-owned green space on the island of Montreal (two campuses and arboretum) and is steward of the Gault Estate (a UNESCO reserve). A portion of the Macdonald farm is intended for production of organic produce as well as being a wildlife corridor. On campus, the University uses neither pesticides nor automated irrigation system, and composts green waste where feasible. Trees are transplanted whenever possible or replaced (tree replacement policy). Effort is made to reduce the heat island effect (HIE) wherever possible, such as by using pervious paving. Being committed to biodiversity, the University is constantly expanding its collection of native or non-invasive rare flora best suited to local growth conditions (xeriscaping).
Community gardens include a backyard vegetable garden and a much larger project (with local NGOs) to install a greenroof container garden. The latter is a town-gown service-learning opportunity: it reduces the local HIE and vegetables grown are used in a Meals on Wheels programme.
Purchasing. The University’s purchasing policy (currently under review) contains clauses promoting acquisition of more sustainable goods/services such as green cleaning products and remanufactured toner cartridges. Printing and Copy Services both use/offer Eco-Logo certified recycled paper.
Transportation. McGill’s allégo TDM project aimed to discourage commuting via single-occupancy vehicles (SOV) to favor alternative transportation; however 95% of survey respondents already did, thanks to the campus being well-served by public transit. The University has a wildly successful bikeshare fleet (free). Ethanol – then biodiesel - was used in Gault Reserve vehicles. Security agents patrol on bikes instead of their (mainly hybrid) vehicles in summer. On International Car Free Day, McGill annually closes the downtown campus for a student-organized sustainability fair on the roadway. The University is now working with the City to pedestrianize a street lined by McGill property, as well as to further explore high-density bicycle usage.
Waste. McGill recycles e-waste and batteries in addition to standard paper/cardboard and glass/metal/plastic. An internal auction system is available for departments to redistribute their assets. The Paper Use Policy is integral to waste reduction: projects included elimination of printed pay stubs, directories, and invoices. Copy Services promote double-sided printing through appropriate pricing.
Administration and Finance:
Public engagement. The Principal’s Town Hall sessions address issues of concern, including sustainability. Annual forums, “Rethink conferences”, help disseminate information and take action: a popular campus Farmer’s Market was launched within months of the 2008 edition thanks to the collaborative efforts of staff and students. Community members can pledge to take action to reduce their environmental footprint (internal pledge launched 2006), with the addition of Defi-Climat since 2007 (citywide initiative).
The University publicly supports the municipal and provincial sustainable development plans. The University is a partner in the implementation of the former, committing to specific actions on various issues ranging from operations to education. McGill also expressed support for sustainable transportation and development in briefs regarding the municipal master plan and transportation plan respectively.
Investment. Sustainability is one of the pillars of the University’s current capital campaign – the largest in its history. A socially responsible investment (SRI) option is available to staff members who choose to invest their University pension in a socially responsible manner. The University has divested from areas deemed inappropriate, such as South Africa (for its apartheid policies).
Planning. Signature of the Halifax and Talloires declarations constituted the prelude to the University’s environmental policy/actions being approved (2001 and 2002 respectively), and a paper-use policy in 2005. Sustainability was the topic for discussion at the 2007 Joint Senate/Board of Governors’ annual meeting, and a multistakeholder group was subsequently formed to develop a sustainability policy for the University, intended to subsume the existing environmental policy. Sustainability is over-arching in the Master Plan’s Guiding Principles (2008): planning objectives for sustainable development range from circulation and transportation to building design and construction. A sustainability strategic action plan is currently in development.
Diversity. “With students coming to McGill from about 160 countries, our student body is the most internationally diverse of any medical-doctoral university in Canada.” Support is available to all students, regardless of culture, gender or sexual orientation. McGill is committed to equity in employment. The University strives for universal accessibility in all of its facilities, and provides a shuttle bus on its downtown campus to facilitate intra-campus travel for the mobility-impaired.
Access and affordability. A longstanding tuition freeze in the province in Quebec had made McGill one of the most affordable in Canada, without impacting on the quality of its teaching and learning programs. A wide range of bursaries and awards are currently available to students; accessibility and affordability to qualified students are also important objectives of the University capital campaign.
Human resources. The University has two full-time staff members in its Sustainability Office, who work with colleagues in other departments and students to further sustainability projects, with the goal of making consideration for sustainability pervasive in the University’s culture. A LEED-certified project manager is also on staff in University Services. The Sub-Committee on Environment (SCE) is a multistakeholder group that meets monthly, providing a forum for all members of the McGill community to advance projects on all fronts of the sustainability movement on campus.
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