Help shape the future of UCalgary's Climate Action Plan

In February, the University of Calgary will kick off an institution-wide consultation process to begin the renewal of its Climate Action Plan.

UCalgary strives to become a Canadian post-secondary education leader in sustainability. In October 2008, the university became one of six original signatories to the University and College Presidents’ Climate Change Statement of Action for Canada (UCPCCSAC), committing UCalgary to complete an institutional Climate Action Plan defining how it will pursue responsible solutions to climate change, as well as to sharing knowledge and research about climate change.

Today, there are more than 25 signatories to the UCPCCSAC, which expands on the successful American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), which has more than 600 signatories who have committed to becoming carbon neutral.

UCalgary’s 2010 Climate Action Plan (CAP) identified actions for reducing the university’s operational greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by approximately 49 per cent by 2015, 56 per cent by 2020 and 80 per by 2050* from a baseline established in the Fiscal Year 2008/2009 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report. The 2010 CAP also underscored institutional leadership in research and teaching within energy, environment and climate change-related fields and highlighted growing momentum in related student leadership.

Since 2010, the university has made steady progress toward its GHG reduction goals through a variety of initiatives. Current GHG emissions per student are estimated to be 39 per cent lower than the 2008 baseline, and GHG emissions across all campuses are estimated to be more than 31 per cent lower. This reduction represents represents over 74,000 tonnes of annual emissions reductions, the equivalent of taking 15,500 cars off the road each year**.

“The 2010 Climate Action Plan provided clarity on our institutional investment priorities over the past seven years and enabled UCalgary to achieve substantive emissions reductions,” says Joanne Purdue, chief sustainability officer. “Given that our 2010 targets did not reflect anticipated growth, achieving a reduction of almost 40 per cent demonstrates exceptional leadership from both a climate change challenge and operational efficiency perspective.” 

High impact initiatives include:   

• Lower carbon energy supply
  In 2012, the university completed the installation of a cogeneration system in the central heating and cooling plant. We have achieved annual emissions reductions of approximately 60,000 tonnes as a result of using this lower carbon energy supply.

• Energy efficient new buildings
  As the university grows in population and physical footprint, institutional GHG emissions also grow. By establishing quantifiable emissions and energy performance budgets for new buildings, UCalgary has substantially reduced the impact of its growth, with GHG emissions across all campuses estimated to be more than 31 per cent lower than 2008, including growth. 

• Energy efficiency retrofits
  The energy use of existing buildings represents more than 99 per cent of institutional GHG emissions. Since 2010, two key programs — the Energy Performance Initiative (EPI) and its successor, the Utility Reduction Program (URPr) — have been focused on optimization of energy use.

“In response to the Paris Accord, the Government of Canada has committed to reduce Canadian GHG emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030,” says Purdue. “Renewing our CAP provides a strategic opportunity to lay the foundation for UCalgary contributions to this commitment and to be an innovator in the transition to a low carbon economy.”

The renewed CAP will help advance the goals of UCalgary’s Strategic Research Plan and the Institutional Sustainability Strategy, and will serve as an operational road map for transitioning to a low-carbon campus.

Beginning in February 2018, UCalgary’s Office of Sustainability will be seeking input from students, faculty, and staff to help inform the renewal of the CAP. Visit the CAP renewal consultation website for more information on how to get involved.

Ways to engage

Students, faculty and staff can participate in the Climate Action Plan renewal consultation opportunities that work best for you. This is your opportunity to share your ideas for a sustainable future at UCalgary, and contribute to how we move toward our GHG emission reduction targets.

• Register for a focus group
• Complete the online survey
• Take the weekly poll on the CAP website
• Send a comment to sustain@ucalgary.ca

Your feedback will help focus UCalgary’s renewed Climate Action Plan targets and priorities.

* Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. The 2010 CAP also considered some Scope 3 emissions (other voluntarily reported indirect emissions) which, for simplicity, have not been discussed in this scene setter.  When these are included, the calculations result in slightly different emissions reductions targets (e.g., 45 per cent reduction by 2015). More information on the Scope 3 emissions is available in the 2010 CAP.

**https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator