Royal Roads University has worked very hard to include sustainability into their past, present and future. From the beginning (1995) Royal Roads decided it would be a special purpose university with sustainability as a founding pillar backed by a strong policy framework. Five key initiatives were chosen to represent this:
1) GHG Mangement - 50% net reduction of emissions from 2007 levels by 2020.
2) Going Grid Positive - alternative energy sources
3) Campus Transportation - reducing the number of car commuters
4) Building and Heritage Conservation Projects -
5) University Stewardship Plans - purchasing green products
As part of this course, we were treated with four guest speakers to talk about sustainability practices on campus. the four areas presented were: alternative energy options, custodial practices, Habitat cafeteria practices, and RRU sustainability plan.
Our first speaker, Stephen Grundy, PhD - Associate Vice President, Chief Information Officer, spoke on the available alternative energy options Royal Roads is looking at right now. One of the goals of the university is to go grid postive by 2018. This is going to be a very difficult goal, coming with an expensive price tag. Although the university is a National Historic Site, it does not recieve any money from Parks Canada! Alternative sources that have been eliminated thus far are: wave power, wind power, and solar power. Solar panels, for example, require a highly energy-intense manufacturing process. So the three options that are currently being investigated are: cogeneration wood gasifiation waste facility, community compost facility, and wastewater treatment facility. Stephen Grundy pointed out that they are looking at the source that will be most energy efficient, cost effective and that suits RRU size.
Our second speaker was Custodial and Housekeeping Supervisor, Darren Gardham. He explained the ongoing changes and improvements that the custodial staff are working on. In 1998, while working as a custodian for the university, Darren noticed he was allergic to the cleaning supplies hw was using. Shortly after this, all cleaning supplies were switched over to chemical-free! In 2000, the cleaning staff brought in microfiber cloths to replace their old rags. These cloths only require water when cleaning because they literally pik up all bacteria as you wipe. The cloths also last a very long time (~500 washes)! Starting in 2003, the recycling program was expanded to include composting; 10 tonnes of paper towel now composted every year! 75% of all waste at RRU is diverted from the landfill each year as well. I could tell that Darren was truly excited, driven and understanding of the sustainability movement on campus.
The Habitat Cafe on campus is also working very hard to reduce its footprint. The cafe uses compostable wooden cutlery, composts food waste, uses Ocean Wise products, serves Fair Trade coffee and uses compostable “to‐go” coffee cups that use a corn based liner as opposed to a petroleum‐based liner. Habitat is also certified under the Greentable network. The Greentable network “helps guide food establishments to become more sustainable by encouraging the use of services and products that are beneficial to the local economy, use more eco‐friendly processes, incorporates water and energy conservation where applicable and reduces packaging and food waste.”
RRU Sustainability Principles:
• Reduce, re-use, recycle
• Limit campus development to disturbed areas
• Ensure compact, efficient footprint
• Be pedestrian friendly
• Practice active and passive green building design
• Use local and sustainable resources
• Respect heritage designation
• Anticipate, lead and support B.C. government sustainability goals
• Incorporate sustainability in all learner programs
• Support sustainability research and incorporate this in our community engagement initiatives
• Reduce overall carbon footprint
• Be fiscally responsible
Overall I think that Royal Roads is doing a great job on their sustainability practices. They have many goals that they would like to reach; this is very important because it shows direction, hope, and determination. Royal Roads could have easily ignored the whole "environmental" movement and spent their time and money elsewhere. Personally, I find this universities goals and apirations inspiring to my life. Its great to know that I am studying at a place that cares.
Reference: http://www.royalroads.ca/about-rru/governance/sustainability/
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