Loyalist College has joined a number of Colleges across Canada as a signatory to a national protocol for sustainability. Loyalist President Maureen Piercy explained that in signing the agreement, the College is demonstrating its commitment as a leader both internally and with our external communities in maximizing contributions to a sustainable future.
“Loyalist is strongly committed to the principles outlined in the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) Protocol for Sustainability”, said President Piercy. “We will be developing a sustainability policy for the College, which formalizes and builds on many green initiatives which are established practices.”
Key points in the agreement include:
- the incorporation of principles and best practices of sustainability in key documents and reports;
- development of an institutional sustainability plan that includes mechanisms for tracking progress;
- integration of the principles of sustainability within curriculum to enable students and communities to develop competencies and commitment to contribute to a sustainable future;
- incorporation of sustainability principles in policies, procedures and operations (e.g., green standards for buildings, alternate energy sources and energy efficient transportation);
- integration of sustainability principles in cultural, sports, recreational and other activities;
- participation in sustainability networks and consortia, sharing exemplary practices, research and models; and
- working collaboratively with government, business and the community to develop and implement joint strategies to assist in moving society toward sustainability.
In support of this initiative, President Piercy also announced the appointment of Professor Eric Bauer of the College’s Environmental Sciences area as Sustainability Coordinator. Professor Bauer, who is a doctoral candidate in Griffith University, School of Environment, in Australia said, “I’m very excited about the opportunity to work with my colleagues across the College to do this important work. Some of the areas which we’ll be focusing on to start off are:
- co-chairing a cross-College committee of key stakeholders to develop policy in alignment with both Sustainability Protocol and College capacity: reps from academic, student services, facilities, etc.;
- coordinating an inventory and report of what sustainability initiatives Loyalist has ‘on the books’ or in progress and, through the work of the committee, developing recommendations and action plans for key initiatives to move us forward over the next one to four years;
- identifying opportunities for celebration of existing and new initiatives;
- developing for approval a College sustainability policy.
“Sustainability is one of the three key focus areas of Loyalist’s new Strategic Plan, and this initiative is an important component of implementing our plan,” said President Piercy.
Media Contact: Dianne Spencer, College Advancement & External Relations, Loyalist College (613) 969-1913, ext. 2235; e-mail: dspencer@loyalistc.on.ca