Universities are learning how sustainability pays

by Lara Ryan

On any given day, Dalhousie University uses more energy than the entire town of Truro. Rochelle Owen, the director of Dal’s Office of Sustainability, knows this because since the school began paying close attention a year ago, it has measured energy outputs across the campus.

“Heating 4.8 million feet of indoor space is a huge cost,” says Owen. “We are working on cutting energy use and harmful emissions. At the same time, we are increasing renewable energy sources. Every building on campus has been audited. We know which ones need the most attention.”

In the post-secondary world, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are vitally important. Operating costs are reduced, and the ability to attract funding and investments increased. Demand for new graduates who can solve environmental problems is growing. There is a connection between a commitment to sustainability and attracting students and faculty. Careers in green-collar jobs are attractive to a generation that wants to make a difference.

And students are no dummies. They see opportunity. In Ontario, according to numbers released by the Ontario University Applications Centre, applications for environmental programs jumped by 37% from 2006 to 2007.

There is some urgency to improving sustainability on campuses.  Being ahead of the curve won’t keep a school there for long.  Changes to campus operations, new infrastructure, and academic programming are all on the radar. What is innovative will soon be standard. 

The College Sustainability Report Card is the only comparative evaluation of North American campus and endowment sustainability activities. A project of the Sustainable Endowments Institute, created by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, in Cambridge, Mass., it includes sustainability profiles of 300 schools.

Dalhousie joined the list this year.  “It’s the first time we’ve been graded in this way, and we’re really just on our way,” says Owen. “Transportation and energy upgrades are being built into our campus master plan.”

Among 17 Canadian universities surveyed, only the University of British Columbia rated in the top 10. Energy-efficiency retrofits of nearly all buildings earned UBC top marks. The student-run farm that provides food to the campus kitchen, a campus shuttle, free transit passes, car pool programs, and a bike co-op boosted its score.

The report card helps make the business case: reduction in energy consumption means a clear reduction in operating costs. Reduce the cost of paper, water, and transportation, and you save on these as well. 

Campuses may also gain access to new capital. Assets invested according to socially responsible guidelines have increased significantly, from an estimated $65.46 billion in 2004 to $503.61 billion in 2006. This should pique the interest of the post-secondary sector, which both stewards large investment funds and receives investment capital.

The gap between sustainability leaders and laggards will grow. Twenty-nine Canadian universities have signed the International Talloires Declaration, committing to take action in 10 areas related to sustainability, from awareness to practising institutional ecology. Of the Canadian signatories, eight are in Atlantic Canada.

Short-term tactical planning helps you get quick wins, the low-hanging fruit. Longer-term strategic planning plants sustainability in the culture of an institution. A campus master plan is a great place to integrate sustainability into an existing planning process. Both short- and long-term plans should develop implementation approaches, measurements, and targets. An example might be a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

Universities and colleges are well-positioned to address climate change and pursue sustainability. Their influence comes from being not only centres of higher learning but also one of the largest owners of building stock in Canada.

What if an institution came up with a way to link emission reductions to a corporate carbon-offset program? If that were to happen, they could benefit financially from investments made on campus. And if our institutions develop a sustainability baseline, they could track and promote relative progress toward sustainability.  

Right now Acadia University is one of 90 pilot institutions for a new tracking and rating system developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. An Atlantic–wide initiative using this framework would give us an institution-by-institution comparison.

“We already collaborate with MUN, Acadia, and UPEI on understanding and advancing sustainability,” says Dalhousie’s Owen . “We’re also working with other metro schools on a new bulk-purchasing initiative. I expect there will be more of this [in the future].”

Owen and other leaders in the sustainability business believe our region and our institutions can be a model for the world. All we have to do is sign on early, lead the way, and collaborate. How sustainable.

Lara Ryan is a business consultant specializing in CSR. She can be reached at lara@lararyanconsulting.ca.