S.13-93
SFU
VlCK-PRKSIDliNT, I1NANCK & ADMINISTRATION
Strand
11 all 3000
TBI- 778.782.4006
path@sfu.ca
8888 University Drive, Burnaby,BC
FAX 778.7824045
Canada V5A 1S6
MEMORANDUM
ATTENTION
Senate
DATE
May 23,2013
FROM
Pat Ilibbitts, VP Finance & Administraion
CC
KC Bell,Director, SFU Sustainability Office
RE:
Sustainability Strategic Plan 2013 - 2016
Please find attached the new
Sustainability Strategic Plan 20J3 - 2016.
We are submitting it to the Senate Committee on Agendas and Rules for informational purposes
for the next Senate meeting on
June 10, 2013.
Encl.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
YICK-PRKS1DHNT, FINANCK & ADMINISTRATION
MEMORANDUM
Strand Hall 3000
8888 University Drive, Burnaby,
BC
Canada V5A 1S6
ATTENTION
Senate
FROM
Pat Hibbitts, VP Finance & Administraion
CC
KC Bell, Director, SFU Sustainability Office
SustainabilityStrategic Plan 2013 - 2016
RE:
TEL 778.7824006
FAX 778.782.4045
DATE
May 23, 2013
path@sfu.ca
-P^iJduaC
The attached Sustainability Strategic Plan 2013 - 2016 has been developed by the Senior
Sustainability Council over the past eight months. The Council includes one senior
representative for each Vice President and is tasked with developing the Plan, and with
guiding and facilitating its implementation within each portfolio.
Members of the Council are:
•
Dr. Laurie Anderson
Executive Director of SFU Vancouver
Represents VP, External
•
Mr. KC Bell
Director, Sustainability Office
Represents VP, Legal Affairs and
ex
officio
Chair
•
Ms. Erin Geary
Director, Advancement Services and
Donor Relations
Represents VP, University
Advancement and Alumni Relations
•
Dr. Norbert H. Haunerland
Associate V.P., Research
Represents VP, Research
•
Dr. John T. Pierce
Dean, Faculty of Environment
Represents VP, Academic
Dr. Terry Waterhouse
Chief Safety Officer
Represents VP, Finance and
Administration
Details on the Plan'sorigins and the process by which it has been developed are set out in the
Process and Governance sections.
As noted in the Introduction, the Plan will improve SFU's abilitytorespond to the requirements
of the Sustainability Policy (GP38) adopted in 2008. The Policy articulates twoprinciples that
led directly to the creation and shape of this Plan. The first is that sustainability is an
"institutional priority for all University activities, providing a foundation on which SFU may
establish itself as a leading institution in the transition to a sustainable society."
The second is that each Vice President is "responsible for reviewing Sustainability Action Plans
for their portfolios, and for approving actions, schedules and funding to implement them."
With the Plan in now in hand, the Council will begin the required inventories of academic,
research and engagement activities already taking place across the University, as well as the
development
of action plans to achieve the desired outcomes and goals. The Plan will be a
dynamic document and will change as we gain experience implementing it and as circumstances
require.
Encl.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU SUSTAINABILITY
STRATEGIC PLAN
This Plan marks a major milestone in SFU’s commitment to advance the wide array of goals, outcomes, strategies and
values subsumed under the term “sustainability.” The Plan cuts across every portfolio and, consequently, will touch on
a very broad range of University activity, whether through its teaching, its research, its work with internal and external
communities, or in its day-to-day operations.
The Plan is unique in that its adoption expresses SFU’s recognition that our society cannot continue “business as usual”
and still realistically hope to thrive and prosper. SFU is an evidence-based institution and the science is abundantly clear:
human-caused climate change is real and evidence of environmental degradation is widespread and obvious.
Taking action on the environment means signifcant change in both social and economic structures. Behaviours and
expectations need to be aligned around the unifed goal of a healthier planet. If we are serious in this endeavor, educational
institutions must help show the way. This Plan demonstrates SFU’s assumption of its role as a leader in our progress to a
sustainable way of living.
SFU has long pursued actions we now identify as contributing to “sustainability.” Energy conservation became a priority
in the early 1980s, and recycling was begun in the early 1990s in response to lobbying by passionately committed staff.
Academic exploration of sustainability issues also has a long history at SFU, represented by diverse programs such
Resource and Environmental Management (1979), Sustainable Community Development (1989) and the Faculty of
Environment (2009).
In 2006 SFU established the Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC), with a mandate to advise senior administration on
actions that would improve operational sustainability. SAC’s best advice, adopted by the University in 2008, was the approval
of a Sustainability Policy (GP 38) that defned sustainability as “improving the quality of human life while living within the
INTRODUCTION
SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIC PLAN
carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems.” In doing so, SFU also renewed its engagement with a commitment made in
1991 when it became a signatory to the Talloires Declaration.
The Policy articulates two principles that led directly to the creation and shape of this Plan. The frst is that sustainability
is an “institutional priority for all University activities, providing a foundation on which SFU may establish itself as a
leading institution in the transition to a sustainable society.” The second is that each Vice President is “responsible for
reviewing Sustainability Action Plans for their portfolios, and for approving actions, schedules and funding to implement
them.”
In 2012, these fundamental commitments led to the creation of a new Senior Sustainability Council tasked with creating
and implementing a Plan that would address the various requirements set out in the Policy. This Plan is the result of their
work over the past eight months. We believe it is unique among post-secondary institutions in both its scope and, when
complete, will be equally so in its detail. Also in 2012 a new Sustainability Offce was created whose work, among many
other things, is to facilitate the Council’s work developing, coordinating, monitoring and reporting on SFU’s progress in
implementing the Plan.
The Plan benefts from its alignment with other major SFU planning documents in the University Planning Framework,
with which it shares its major categories and many key actions. Its overall structure supports SFU’s Strategic Vision,
the Academic Plan, the Strategic Research Plan and other major institutional plans. We believe it is best understood as
applying a “sustainability lens” to elements already mapped in these other plans and to a broad range of existing and
future University activities.
Only occasionally does its implementation call for signifcant additional activity; instead, the Plan calls on members of the
SFU community to begin to see the work they already perform, whether academic or supporting, as a means of developing
and contributing to more sustainable ways of being—including working—in the world.
In this it refects our conviction that our future will be one in which what we now call sustainability will have become an
integral and unquestioned aspect of virtually everyone’s work and study; it will simply be “the way things are.” This Plan
is intended to help guide SFU down the road to that welcome future.
CONTINUED
PROCESS, GOVERNANCE, DEFINITIONS
The Sustainability Strategic Plan was developed over eight months by the Senior Sustainability Council in collaboration with
members of their portfolios and supported administratively by the Sustainability Offce.
The Council defned sustainability at SFU and developed Goals that align the Plan with SFU’s Strategic Vision. With these
goals in hand, each member of the SSC consulted with their VP and constituents within their portfolio to clarify and refne
Outcomes and Strategies. The Sustainability Strategic Plan was presented to SFU’s Vice Presidents and to members of the
Sustainability Advisory Committee in mid-April.
A revised draft was posted on the Sustainability Offce website on May 6
th
and an email broadcast to members of the SFU
community inviting comment on its contents. This fnal version of the Plan was approved by the Vice Presidents in late May
and takes account of comments received. It remains a living document and it is expected that it will be revised as experience
is gained in working with it and as changing circumstances require.
The Sustainability Strategic Plan establishes a foundation for how SFU will integrate sustainability into the full range of its
academic, operational and community activity. Over the coming months, these goals, outcomes and strategies will guide
the next phase of planning as action plans are developed and implemented within each Vice President’s portfolio. A more
detailed Plan will introduce targets, timelines and implementation processes for strategies and outcomes identifed now.
The Senior Sustainability Council and Sustainability Offce will guide and support this second planning phase.
PROCESS
In mid-July 2012, SFU’s Vice Presidents established both the Sustainability Offce and the Senior Sustainability Council.
Each has responsibilities for preparing and coordinating the implementation of SFU’s Strategic Sustainability Plan.
GOVERNANCE
The Senior Sustainability Council is tasked with developing the Sustainability Strategic Plan that identifes goals for each
Vice Presidential portfolio and meaningful indicators by which progress toward achieving them can be measured. The
Director of the Sustainability Offce is the ex offcio Chair of the Council.
Members of the Senior Sustainability Council Members are:
SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL
•
Dr. Norbert H. Haunerland
Associate VP, Research
Represents VP, Research
•
Dr. John T. Pierce
Dean, Faculty of Environment
Represents VP, Academic
•
Dr. Terry Waterhouse
Chief Safety Offcer
Represents VP, Finance and Administration
•
Dr. Laurie Anderson
Executive Director of SFU Vancouver
Represents VP, External
•
Mr. KC Bell
Director, Sustainability Offce
Represents VP, Legal Affairs and Chairs the Council
•
Ms. Erin Geary
Director, Advancement Services and Donor Relations
Represents VP, University Advancement and Alumni
Relations
SFU’s Sustainability Offce supports and facilitates the development and maintenance of University-wide sustainability
initiatives. The Offce’s primary mission is to:
•
Educate: Improving sustainability literacy within the University community and beyond
•
Connect: Connecting and coordinating University-wide initiatives and planning
•
Enable: Enabling action and participation in sustainability initiatives through capacity building
•
Communicate: Reporting and promoting SFU’s progress toward becoming a sustainable community
SFU SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE
In particular, the Offce serves to support the Senior Sustainability Council in developing the Sustainability Strategic Plan,
and will continue to support the Council in preparing specifc action-plans on the Strategic Plan’s outcomes and strategies,
and in implementing the Plan.
DEFINITIONS
The term “living laboratory” refers to a research concept rather than a physical place/laboratory. The idea behind a living
laboratory is of a university pairing its physical space, administrative processes and operational practices with research and
academic capacities to experiment, research, teach and apply research fndings, technologies and policies both on- and off-
campus. These pairings offer learning opportunities for both students and University staff, as well as for others with whom
the students undertake projects.
The living laboratory concept is one of the most direct ways to embrace educational and institutional change at SFU. It is
a form of experiential education in which students, as part of their learning activities within a course, work on “real world”
research or problem-solving projects to create change on campus, or to use their campus to engage with the community to
create change in external communities.
A Living Lab draws on SFU’s institutional resources owning, operating and directing the University’s systems that make it
functional, which gives us the opportunity to tweak these systems and learn from trying new things. The living laboratory
term expresses SFU’s desire to see the entire University as a classroom, laboratory and locus of learning.
LIVING LAB
References in the Plan to the SFU community may mean specifcally staff, faculty, students, alumni and residents of
UniverCity. They may also refer more generally to the wide constituency that includes citizens of BC and beyond who have a
direct interest in, or occasion to be engaged with, SFU and its activities.
SFU COMMUNITY
The following defnitions inform the Plan’s use of “sustainability”:
From Policy GP 38:
Sustainability is most commonly defned as “improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity
of supporting ecosystems” (Brundtland Report, 1987). Since the concept of sustainability applies to long-term objectives
achieved by short- and medium-term actions, the term has application within virtually all spheres of activity.
Social Sustainability:
A community is socially sustainable when all community members have an equitable and decent quality of life; community
members are actively engaged in decision–making processes that affect them; and future generations are considered in
current decision-making.
Economic Sustainability:
A community is economically sustainable when measures of wealth consider the healthy functioning of the ecological
systems that support them; when fair trade is practiced and all members of the community can participate in the economy;
and when production and consumption systems are designed to fulfll the needs of community members rather than merely
to sustain “economic growth.”
Ecological Sustainability:
A community is environmentally sustainable when it operates from within an understanding of its place as embedded within
an ecosystem; produces no wastes or emissions that cannot be assimilated by its ecosystem; and all members within its
ecosystem have an opportunity to thrive.
SUSTAINABILITY
BUILDING ON A FOUNDATION
Whether in its teaching, research, community or operational activities, SFU’s faculty, staff and students have long worked to
promote and develop practical means by which SFU’s diverse activities—whether academic or operational—refect many of
the goals and outcomes that now appear more formally in this Plan.
Although the implementation of this Plan will entail new activities in every portfolio, one important purpose is to bring
together and make more visible what are now broadly distributed academic, research and other activities already taking
place at SFU. Existing work that addresses “sustainability” now occurs across all Faculties and within many administrative
and operational departments.
These diverse activities are the result of many people’s professional interests and personal commitments and are expressed
in degree programs, academic specializations, research projects, community outreach programs and day-to-day personal
activities that contribute incrementally to creating a more sustainable culture.
Below each outcome is a section that provides illustrative examples that represent activities already underway at SFU that
offer foundations upon which future activities can be built or extended, and may assist those reading and working with the
Plan to understand how it may be implemented.
GOAL 1
ENGAGING STUDENTS
1
Outcome 1
Outcome 2
4
Outcome 1
Outcome 2
Outcome 3
GOAL 2
ENGAGING RESEARCH
Outcome 3
8
Outcome 1
Outcome 2
GOAL 3
ENGAGING COMMUNITIES
GOAL 4
LEVERAGING INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTH
12
Outcome 1
Outcome 2
Outcome 3
Outcome 4
Outcome 5
Outcome 6
CONTENTS
SFU can make its greatest contribution to bringing about a sustainable culture through the strategic use of its academic resources. Research and teaching
are already underway in every Faculty that explicitly address ecological, economic and social sustainability. Inventorying sustainability-related teaching and
research will assist in future planning and allow us to better understand both our current activities and gaps we need to address.
Incorporating opportunities to engage with sustainability concepts, issues and practices across the disciplines will contribute to student awareness of the
essential interconnectedness of economic, ecological and social sustainability and reinforce the importance of seeking solutions that take account of them.
Opportunities for students to collaborate with operational staff and others through experiential learning (e.g., Living Lab program) will enable them to work
on “real world” issues while engaging more deeply with the University and external bodies.
OUTCOME 1
SFU ensures students have multiple opportunities to be exposed to sustainability
concepts as part of their curricular and co-curricular activities at the University
SFU creates enhanced opportunities for student involvement in sustainability
operations on our campuses
OUTCOME 2
CONTEXT
ENGAGING STUDENTS
To provide a supportive learning environment and diverse learning opportunities that
enable all students to gain the knowledge, critical capacities, research skills and civic
understanding required to become engaged global citizens and leaders in the transition
to sustainable communities worldwide.
GOAL 1
OUTCOME 1
SFU ensures students have multiple opportunities to be exposed to sustainability concepts as part
of their curricular and co-curricular activities at the University
Many current programs exemplify how this outcome can be achieved, including Change Lab, Semester in Dialogue, the Certifcate in Sustainable Community
Development, City Studio, and the Faculty of Environment. Students who volunteer with, work for and participate in programming offered by the student non-
proft society
Sustainable SFU
improve their personal sustainability literacy, learn how to be effective organizational and community change advocates and
contribute to practical projects on campus (e.g., the Learning Garden on the Burnaby campus).
Building on a Foundation
STRATEGY 1
Complete an inventory of current academic and other opportunities
for students and develop recommendations for improvements and/or
additions
STRATEGY 2
Embed environmental, economic and social sustainability concepts, principles
and practices across undergraduate and graduate programs
STRATEGY 3
Provide incentives (training and support) for faculty to integrate
sustainability into course design
STRATEGY 4
Integrate environmental, economic and social sustainability into existing
and new student leadership and career training programs at SFU
STRATEGY 5
Develop funding mechanisms and processes to incentivize the embedding
of environmental, economic and social sustainability into curriculum and
co-curriculum at SFU
2
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
OUTCOME 2
SFU creates enhanced opportunities for student involvement in sustainability operations on our
campuses
It is a common theme in student convocation speeches that the speakers learned as much outside as inside classrooms. SFU students have many
opportunities to build real world sustainability skills outside the classroom at SFU. A number of experiential education courses make use of the
University’s grounds and buildings as the site of “living lab” activities and collaborate with SFU staff to carry out projects and to explore and propose
solutions to operational issues.
Building on a Foundation
STRATEGY 1
Complete an inventory of current opportunities for students and develop
recommendations for improvements and/or additions
STRATEGY 2
Develop a Living Lab Program coordinated jointly by staff from operational,
academic and research departments
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
3
ENGAGING RESEARCH
SFU will promote the development of research initiatives at SFU that strengthen our
understanding of the complexities of, and interconnections among, ecological, economic
and social sustainability and developing and applying ecologically responsible research
practices.
Research offers one of SFU’s most powerful engines for addressing the profound global ecological, economic and social challenges posed by climate
change. SFU researchers participate in individual and collaborative scholarly efforts across the disciplines and are engaged with communities at
home and abroad. Our Strategic Research Plan leverages its strengths and partnerships to build institutional capacity in key thematic areas and earn
SFU the respect to lead regional and national research initiatives.
For SFU to lead transformative sustainability research, we must develop a research culture in which economic, ecological and social sustainability are
valued both as subjects of varied and essential enquiry and as basic tenets of research practice. For example, the development of diverse low-carbon
economies will require the best efforts of researchers in many felds, including the development, testing and application of sustainable practices and
technologies.
OUTCOME 1
SFU supports and encourages sustainable research practices at SFU
SFU makes sustainability a key research priority and communicates this priority internally
and externally
OUTCOME 2
CONTEXT
OUTCOME 3
SFU connects research programs with external communities to contribute to, and learn from,
sustainability solutions locally and globally
GOAL 2
OUTCOME 1
SFU supports and encourages sustainable research practices at SFU
STRATEGY 1
Identify major impacts of research carried out at SFU on environmental,
economic, and social sustainability
STRATEGY 2
Develop guiding principles to assist with the design of environmentally,
economically and socially sustainable research projects and experiments
STRATEGY 3
Establish incentives for using environmentally and socially benign
processes, equipment and materials in research projects and experiments
SFU’s Green Labs Program
works with building occupants and lab users on the Burnaby campus to reduce energy use and waste associated with research practices
and equipment. In its third year, the program includes a Green Labs Certifcation Program for use in all labs at SFU.
SFU’s Hazardous Waste Management Programs
work to ensure the health and safety of researchers, to ensure compliance with legislation, to set requirements for procurement, handling, storage, transportation and
disposal of hazardous materials, and to ensure researchers have appropriate training.
Building on a Foundation
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
5
Research is carried out on sustainability-focused and -related topics in all Faculties and departments at SFU.
Peter Dickinson
in English explores how topics,
including climate change, are taken up in the work of playwrights.
Tim Takaro
in Health Sciences investigates links between toxic environmental exposures and
disease, including the connection between asthma and the health effects of climate change.
Building on a Foundation
OUTCOME 2
SFU makes sustainability a key research priority and communicates this priority internally and
externally
STRATEGY 1
Catalog and publicize sustainability research
STRATEGY 2
Integrate sustainability into future research plans
STRATEGY 4
Enhance existing research clusters on sustainability
STRATEGY 5
Increase sustainability-related research opportunities for undergraduate
and graduate students
STRATEGY 6
Identify and highlight sustainability research in VP Research
communications channels
STRATEGY 3
Identify and support current, new and emerging opportunities for
sustainability research, including partnerships with the private sector,
governments and civil society
6
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
OUTCOME 3
SFU connects research programs with external communities to contribute to, and learn from,
sustainability solutions locally and globally (Connects with Goal 3 - Outcome 3)
STRATEGY 1
Conduct an inventory to identify SFU’s current engagement with external
communities to contribute to, and learn from, sustainability solutions
STRATEGY 2
Coordinate and manage the connection between SFU’s research program
and external communities to increase and improve sustainability-related
knowledge transfer and knowledge translation
STRATEGY 3
Develop an Alumni in Sustainability Research network to connect alumni
with SFU research teams
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
7
Stephanie Bertels
in the Beedie School of Business researches and works with businesses to identify means to embed sustainability into organizational culture.
Lyn Bartram
and her students in Interactive Arts and Technology contributed to “West House” a model sustainable home developed by SFU faculty and students
showcased at the “Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. West House is now installed on a City of Vancouver-owned site as a technology showcase, research and
development test bed and “living lab.”
Building on a Foundation
Universities have a leadership role in disseminating what they learn about social, economic and ecological sustainability and how this knowledge can
be implemented in a range of communities. Sustainability and “engagement” share fundamental common values in their emphases on mutuality and
reciprocity.
The University will engage its communities to defne and share a sustainable culture. Creating sustainable communities requires that we clarify and
deepen our knowledge of what “sustainability” means and collaborate on the development of practical solutions that enable us to live sustainably.
OUTCOME 1
SFU provides opportunities for community members to engage with, and participate in, the
University’s sustainability initiative
SFU improves public understanding of sustainability through an expanded range of
educational opportunities for external community members
OUTCOME 2
CONTEXT
OUTCOME 3
SFU connects with external communities to co-develop and demonstrate solutions for local and global
sustainability-related problems
ENGAGING COMMUNITIES
To develop partnerships and maximize the capacities of SFU’s three campuses in ways
that enhance the ecological, social and economic well-being of communities locally and
globally. In this regard, SFU will demonstrate its leadership and commitment to the
underlying principles of human rights and sustainable development.
GOAL 3
OUTCOME 1
SFU provides opportunities for community members to engage with, and participate in, the
University’s sustainability initiative
The award-winning
Sustainability Ambassador Program
, run by the Sustainability Offce, engages staff in sustainability education, capacity building and culture
change programming. In collaboration with Student Services, the Offce is launching a new Sustainability Peers program to build sustainability literacy among
students. The creation of the SFU Sustainability Network in 2011 has strengthened sustainability relationships on campus and provided community members an
informal outlet for participation, collaboration and co-learning.
Building on a Foundation
STRATEGY 1
Survey the community to identify the most appropriate and effective ways
to engage them in SFU’s sustainability initiative
STRATEGY 2
Include opportunities for community engagement in future sustainability
planning processes
STRATEGY 3
Establish annual SFU community engagement events
STRATEGY 4
Expand and support, through funding, staffng and recognition,
current and new community engagement programs on campus (e.g.,
Sustainability Ambassadors, Peer Educators, etc.)
STRATEGY 5
Develop a community recognition program to reward participation in
SFU’s sustainability initiative
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
9
OUTCOME 2
SFU improves public understanding of sustainability through an expanded range of educational
opportunities for external community members
STRATEGY 1
Establish a baseline for public understanding of sustainability and develop
recommendations to improve understanding through SFU programs
STRATEGY 3
Offer sustainability-related low-cost and accessible Continuing Studies
programs, public lectures and community workshops
STRATEGY 4
Integrate sustainability into current university community engagement
programs and events (e.g., Philosophers’ Café)
STRATEGY 2
Establish new sustainability-related community engagement events and
activities for the public in the three municipalities where SFU’s campuses
are located
10
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
SFU’s Public Square “establishes Simon Fraser University as the go-to convener of serious and productive conversations about issues of public concern.” Issues
related to sustainability have fgured prominently among early offerings. Continuing Studies offers inexpensive, accessible and practical learning opportunities to
the general public, and includes Certifcate programs in Sustainable Community Development, Dialogue and Civic Engagement, and Restorative Justice.
Building on a Foundation
OUTCOME 3
SFU connects with external communities to co-develop and demonstrate solutions for local and
global sustainability-related problems (Connects with Goal 2 - Outcome 3)
STRATEGY 1
Establish SFU’s role in leading and building capacity for university
sustainability programs across Canada in keeping with SFU’s signing of
the Talloires Declaration in 1991
STRATEGY 2
Establish a strategic and ongoing effort to communicate SFU’s sustainability
goals and accomplishments to the SFU community and external communities
STRATEGY 3
Develop partnerships with local municipal and regional governments working
on sustainable community development to better connect current work being
done by the municipalities and the University
STRATEGY 4
Develop partnerships with businesses and not-for-proft organizations to
co-generate solutions, prototypes and grant applications to better connect
current work being done by these organizations and the University
STRATEGY 5
Integrate sustainability principles and practices into event planning,
marketing and communications activities
STRATEGY 6
Collaborate with research communities across Canada to develop
sustainability solutions for shared IT facilities
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
11
The Maple Ridge Environmental School opened in 2011 and is a partnership among community groups, School District 42, and SFU’s Faculty of Education that
integrates place-based, ecological and imaginative education principles to connect students with the natural and human world. City Studio engages students in
the development of “greenest city” solutions and prepares them to be sustainability leaders. The City of Vancouver directly benefts from the concrete academic
contributions of SFU students.
Building on a Foundation
SFU draws great beneft from having engaged and committed academic and support staff. Employees, like students, increasingly expect SFU to
exemplify proactive and responsible action on matters as fundamental and interdependent as ecological, economic and social sustainability. This is
especially true within a research institution that values analysis, critical thinking and a commitment to high ethical behaviour.
SFU will model the change to a sustainable culture. Whether through the instruments of governance, the use of its human and fscal resources, or its
operational principles and practices, SFU will show operational leadership in addressing sustainability.
CONTEXT
LEVERAGING INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTH:
OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP
SFU will enhance understanding of sustainability among the SFU community in order
to integrate sustainability into SFU’s administrative and operational planning systems,
policies, processes and activities.
OUTCOME 1
SFU integrates sustainability concepts, language and criteria into core governance,
planning and accountability structures
SFU enhances staff comprehension of basic sustainability concepts, practices and
programs at SFU as well as staff participation in advancing sustainability at SFU
OUTCOME 2
GOAL 4
OUTCOME 3
SFU develops and employs sustainability guidelines and procedures in key fnancial and
administrative services operations
SFU establishes a diverse, secure and adequate source of long-term funding to support SFU’s
sustainability initiative
OUTCOME 4
OUTCOME 5
SFU improves the environmental footprint of University operations through optimizing energy use,
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, eliminating toxic inputs, and reducing and diverting waste
from landflls
GOAL 4
CONTINUED
OUTCOME 6
SFU has ecologically, socially and economically sustainable transportation options for students,
staff and faculty
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
13
The SFU Sustainability Advisory Committee was established in 2005. In 2008, SFU approved its Sustainability Policy GP 38. In 2011 sustainability became one of
SFU’s six Guiding Principles. The Senior Sustainability Council and Sustainability Offce were established in 2012, in part to develop a Sustainability Strategic Plan
and facilitate its communication and implementation. With this Plan, Sustainability is established within the University’s Planning Framework.
Building on a Foundation
OUTCOME 1
SFU integrates sustainability concepts, language and criteria into core governance, planning and
accountability structures
STRATEGY 7
Enhance collaboration and communication by measuring and reporting on
progress towards operational sustainability goals
STRATEGY 1
Conduct an inventory of core governance, planning and accountability
structures along with renewal/revision dates and their overall impact on
University sustainability efforts
STRATEGY 2
Enhance sustainability governance by annually reporting on sustainability
concepts, principles and activities and their connection to University
governance and achievement of the strategic vision
STRATEGY 3
Enhance sustainability planning by integrating sustainability principles
and practices into key institutional planning documents and key decision-
making processes
STRATEGY 4
Advance sustainability practices by developing and implementing a
comprehensive policy and procedure framework to provide direction and
guide administrative activities across the University
STRATEGY 5
Integrate sustainability requirements into accountability and reporting
structures based on priorities identifed in the core structures inventory
STRATEGY 6
Communicate to landlords and fellow tenants that sustainability is a key
priority for SFU and integrate sustainability language into future leases,
agreements and ongoing building renovations
14
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
OUTCOME 2
SFU enhances staff comprehension of basic sustainability concepts, practices and programs, as well
as staff participation in advancing sustainability at SFU
STRATEGY 1
Establish a baseline for staff understanding of sustainability and develop
recommendations for improving this understanding through SFU
programs
STRATEGY 2
Develop new training programs, courses and opportunities for staff to
enhance their understanding of sustainability
STRATEGY 3
Integrate sustainability into staff reporting processes in administrative
units
SFU’s Sustainability Offce recently launched the
Talking Sustainability Project
, which focuses on improving sustainability literacy within the SFU community and
encouraging direct engagement in SFU’s sustainability planning processes. All new employee orientation sessions include a sustainability literacy module; each
month new employees learn about sustainability and how SFU is contributing to sustainable community development.
Building on a Foundation
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
15
OUTCOME 3
SFU develops and employs sustainability guidelines and procedures in key fnancial and
administrative services operations
STRATEGY 2
Use systems and technologies that foster effective and effcient IT resource
use and enhance collaboration and communication across the SFU
community
STRATEGY 3
Develop sustainable procurement guidelines for purchasers in
departments/units to place sustainability at the forefront of the
University’s supply chain
STRATEGY 4
Source Fair Trade certifed products for use in Ancillary Services,
including dining facilities and the SFU Bookstore
STRATEGY 1
Investigate the requirements and process to become a signator to the UN
Principles on Responsible Investment as a means to incorporate sustainability
into decisions regarding investments
16
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
Sustainability criteria were applied in the Request for Proposals for the new Print Services contract. As the result of initiatives led by Ancillaries, SFU recently
earned Fair Trade Campus Designation, and the new Dining Services contract specifed several sustainability initiatives that include tray-less dining, local food
procurement and healthier food options.
Building on a Foundation
OUTCOME 4
SFU’s University-wide sustainability initiative has a diverse, secure and adequate source of long-term
funding
STRATEGY 1
Enhance and stabilize sustainability funding by creating an endowment
fund for collaborative cross-unit projects (including those with longer
term Return on Investment [ROI])
STRATEGY 2
Create a community sustainability seed-fund to fnancially support
sustainability projects initiated by staff, faculty and students at SFU
STRATEGY 3
Include fnancial support for SFU’s sustainability initiative as a fundraising
priority
The establishment of the Sustainability Offce included continuing operational funding as well as one-time funding to support new and existing initiatives and
to launch new programs. SFU’s ongoing participation in BC Hydro’s Continuous Optimization Program helps to fund energy conservation projects in registered
buildings.
Building on a Foundation
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
17
SFU has achieved an 8% reduction in greenhouse emissions since its baseline year of 2007 despite the growth in building footprint of over 13%. SFU now has several
green buildings, including the renovated Shrum Chemistry Building, the Technology and Science Complex buildings, the Saywell-Blusson Complex and the Segal
Centre at SFU Vancouver. The Zero Waste Committee is working with Metro Vancouver to develop common standards for public space waste reduction stations to
improve waste diversion infrastructure and community education.
Building on a Foundation
OUTCOME 5
SFU improves the environmental footprint of University operations through optimizing energy use,
reducing greenhouse gas emissions, eliminating toxic inputs, and reducing and diverting waste from
landflls
STRATEGY 1
Reduce environmental, social and economic impacts of SFU’s built
infrastructure and associated occupant behaviour within buildings
STRATEGY 2
Exceed the BC mandate to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 18% below
2007 levels by 2016
STRATEGY 3
Divert a minimum of 70% of waste from landflls by 2015
STRATEGY 4
Identify and eliminate water pollution and waste on the Burnaby campus
STRATEGY 5
Ensure SFU’s grounds management contributes to enhanced biodiversity
and food production and is free of toxic outputs
STRATEGY 6
Apply right-sizing guidelines and make feet purchasing and renting
choices based on the lowest emission options available
18
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
OUTCOME 6
SFU has ecologically, socially and economically sustainable transportation options for students, staff
and faculty
STRATEGY 1
Develop a sustainable transportation plan for SFU
STRATEGY 2
Enhance opportunities for members of SFU to engage in commuting practices
that contribute to sustainability
STRATEGY 3
Identify and develop systems that support low emission travel for
conferences, feldwork and international feld school study
19
SFU SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
SFU students pioneered Translink’s U-Pass Program, carpooling incentives exist for staff, faculty and students, and electric vehicle charging stations have been
installed on the Burnaby campus and at the Community Trust (UniverCity). As a result, the number of parking spaces on the Burnaby campus has been reduced by
28% since 2003. A new Committee will address sustainable mobility issues.
Building on a Foundation
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