We’ve got some exciting news to share. Sustainability is growing from two… to three. This Fall a Resource Reduction Specialist will join the Sustainability Office to bring a focused and dedicated effort to campus paper reduction and plug load energy reduction. Staff and students consistently rank these topics as top sustainability priorities. In the most recent staff survey (Feb-Mar, 2017) staff cited paper reduction and energy reduction as their top two sustainability priorities.

Staff rank campus sustainability priorities

These results aren’t surprising considering the significant financial and environmental impacts that come with them. Chew on this:

• The amount of electricity consumed at College-owned campuses is enough to power the RM of Headingley for nearly two years.
• As a college we use 14 million sheets of paper every year. Stacking our annual paper use is taller than putting the One World Trade Centre (1,776 feet) on top of the Burj Khalifa (2,717).

These numbers are big and somewhat daunting… but we’re up to the challenge!

The Resource Reduction Specialist position is being filled by Whitney Crooks, our current Sustainability Coordinator, on a two-year basis. (Whitney’s current position will be backfilled through a competition.) “I’m very excited about this opportunity. We know that there’s a great culture of sustainability at the College. I’m continually amazed at the support for sustainability and the great energy and ideas generated from students and staff. I’m committed to working collaboratively with all College stakeholders to addressing paper and energy reduction at the College.”

So stay tuned. The consultation process will begin in late Fall and we hope you’ll be a part of it!