Friday, February 8, 2008

University of Windsor Proposed Environmental Policy

"Human demands upon the planet are now of a volume and kind that unless changed substantially, threatens the future well-being of all living species. Universities are entrusted with the major responsibility to help societies shape their present and future development policies and actions into the sustainable and equitable forms necessary for an environmentally secure and civilized world" (The Halifax Declaration, see Appendix A).

1. Introduction

The University of Windsor is one of the many worldwide signatories of The Talloires Declaration (see Appendix B) which promised a commitment to an environmentally sustainable future. Fourteen years later, the University still does not have an environmental policy in place.

Through specialised courses (see Appendix C), the educational component of such commitment has come closer to being fulfilled. Individual campus services have made improvements in a variety of areas such as waste reduction and recycling. Furthermore, the Ontario Minister of Environment has recently articulated its goals for reducing municipal waste. However, even with such improvements and motivations, the University has not constructed, adopted nor implemented a policy that would direct future decisions regarding environmental practices on campus, as well as off-campus practices that are in conjunction with University projects.

In order to ensure the University’s commitment to an environmentally sustainable future, a documented environmental policy is necessary. The University’s Environmental Coalition (see Appendix D) proposes that the following policy be implemented immediately.

2. Preamble
The University of Windsor is located in one of the nation’s most polluted cities. Action to ameliorate the stresses of such pollution has begun to take place through provisions for alternative forms of transportation and waste reduction. Air, water and soil quality in the Windsor area remain particularly poor, and the concerns of those living in and around Windsor cannot be ignored by the city’s pillar of education. The University hereby commits to address those concerns by extending and intensifying its environmentally sensitive practices and teaching. The University strives to provide its students with a broad educational experience that reaches beyond academic knowledge alone. We therefore commit to operating an institution that is exemplary in its environmentally responsible approach.

As a signatory of the Talloires Declaration, the University now seeks solutions to environmental challenges and implements practices that minimise our impact on the environment. The University also ensures that all members of the University community are aware of our environmental concerns and are provided with sufficient information to participate in environmentally friendly practices.

The University’s environmental commitment involves an ongoing program of and implementation of measurable and realistic improvements. By demonstrating the means to a sustainable community on campus, we improve the learning conditions on campus and contribute to a healthy society not only by example but also by making certain that our graduates leave this institution with a broad awareness of the environmental problems and their solutions. In doing this, we join many Canadian universities with similar concerns, policies and practices.

3. Purpose
• to develop a campus community that is environmentally responsible;
• to make connections with the surrounding area in an effort to improve regional environmental conditions and enhance the vitality and diversity of our biotic community;
• to work towards a sustainable future by signing the Talloires Declaration; and
• to become an exemplary campus through practising sustainable development
and instilling sustainable development values in its graduates and employees,
through research, teaching, and operations.

4. Policy
The University of Windsor is committed to improving its operations and educational programs in an environmentally sustainable manner. The University shall develop appropriate standards, action plans and evaluation instruments necessary to achieve the objectives outlined in this policy.

4.1. Areas of Action:
Pollution – the University recognises how important the issue of pollution is in the City of Windsor. This industrial lowland zone is one of the most polluted areas in Canada. The University will do its part to minimize pollution of air, water and soil and participate in local initiatives to reduce pollution in Windsor and the surrounding area.

Waste reduction – the University will seek ways to conserve resources and reduce waste by educating students, faculty and staff, providing appropriate waste diversion facilities and setting an example with its own practices.

Recycling – the University shall continue to improve its recycling program and ncrease the waste diversion rate every year.

Composting – the University will implement a comprehensive composting program incorporated with landscaping services. Central ideas of sustainability shall be applied where biodegradable waste would be used on site for gardening. Potential for developing educational programs at the elementary and secondary levels will be explored and developed where feasible.

Purchasing/packaging – the Purchasing Department shall make a careful selection of products purchased by the University based on minimized packaging, recyclable and biodegradable supplies and environmentally sound cleaning and landscaping chemicals. As an environmentally conscious buyer, the University can make it clear to distributors that the University’s purchasing decisions are influenced by these criteria.

Chemicals/cleaning – the University shall practice chemical-free cleaning routines. Alternative/natural cleaning supplies are to be used campus-wide.

Energy/retrofitting – the University shall minimize on-campus energy consumption and
reduce the use of fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy resources. Any renovation/retrofitting work done on the existing buildings shall be done in accordance with this policy. Any new buildings on campus shall be designed and constructed in accordance with this policy. Solar panels, green roofs and walls and the use of natural lighting where feasible are encouraged as some of the ways that buildings can be made more energy efficient.

Alternative Vehicles – the University now purchases alternative vehicles that cause less ecological damage, such as hybrid and electric automobiles. When on-campus vehicles(i.e. Food Services trucks, maintenance and Campus Police vehicles) need to be replaced, alternative vehicles shall be the preferred replacement.

Carfree Campus – the University will give priority to pedestrians and bicyclists, and shall continue to designate more campus space for these forms of transportation (except for service vehicles – see previous category). The University shall encourage improved bus access from city residential areas to campus.

Water – the University will continually modify its practices to reduce the overall consumption of water on campus. Infrastructure shall be put in place for the collection, treatment and reuse of wastewater.

Education – the University shall actively promote sustainability, educate its students, staff and faculty and, where possible, incorporate environmental content into the curriculum either by including such content into the existing courses or by offering new, environmentally conscious courses. Where appropriate, programs that provide basic environmental-oriented education for elementary and secondary levels will be developed, preferably by university students who have an interest in childhood education.

Ecosystems/Naturalisation – the University is to embrace comprehensive ecological approaches to sustainability, understand its effect on the existing ecosystems and actively work to improve the ecology of the campus by increasing its natural areas (i.e.planting trees, promoting potted plants for the indoors, introducing wetlands, etc.). Any researchers working under the umbrella of the University, on land or on water, will be conscious of these approaches. All future projects shall avoid the introduction of foreign species, using only indigenous trees and plants that will flourish and contribute to the ecological diversity of the area. Any use of pesticides and/or artificial fertilisers shall be eliminated.

Cooperation – the University shall perpetually be aware of its role in the larger academic and community context. Partnerships shall be established with other university and college campuses across Canada, with local environmental groups and with government agencies including the Municipality of the City of Windsor.

4.2. Environmental Committee
The Environmental Committee is responsible for implementing this policy. The
Environmental Committee is formed from the following membership: one member appointed by each of the student representative bodies [e.g. University of Windsor Student Alliance (UWSA), Graduate Student Society (GSS), Organization of Part-time University Students (OPUS)] and one member appointed by each active student environmental organizations [e.g. Environmental Studies Club, the Ontario Public Interest Research Group - Windsor, Green Corridor, etc.], one member appointed by the Faculty Association and at least two members appointed by the University Administration. Local environmental groups and University of Windsor Unions are also invited to send representatives. The Environmental Committee is committed to exemplary sustainable practices, meets monthly and ensures that maximum consideration is given to environmental/ecological effects of the University’s operations.

4.3. Action plans
Action plans will be developed for each of the above listed areas by the relevant
department (s). These plans are to be responsibly implemented and undergo careful annual reviews by the Environmental Committee.

4.4. Reviews and Performance Indicators
The Environmental Committee shall perform biannual environmental audit, which evaluates all areas of action. The Environmental Committee will report the results of this audit to the president, student associations (both undergraduate and graduate) and make the report available to all members of the University community. If the audit indicates that certain areas of action require improvement, the Environmental Committee is responsible for providing, within reasonable time, an updated action plan with specific recommendation. Performance indicators used for the audit are developed for each area of action with each version of every individual action plan.

5. Future Hopes for the University and Surrounding Area
The University of Windsor plays an important and influential role in the understanding,actions and effects of its own community members, as well as those who make the Windsor area their home. Environmental health is necessary not only for our very survival, but is also fundamental to our ability to build lives in a sustained manner. The University of Windsor is concerned with the state of the environment within which the community – campus, city, region, and planet – lives. It shall use its position as a public education and research institution to build heightened awareness of immediate and long-term conditions, explore potential courses of action for addressing those conditions, and involve all interested parties in working to improve environmental conditions in this area. Actions and decisions that the University engages in its daily operations will be motivated by a genuine desire to reverse the environmental degradation that has occurred in this area, and to cultivate a stimulating, diverse and luscious bioregion. Program curricula will continue to be developed in conjunction with such an environmentally sensitive orientation. Students, staff, and faculty will be encouraged to construct and implement solutions that are prompted from their own concerns about environmental issues. Networks will be built and enhanced, bringing together people from all forms of community to strive towards common goals through mutually supportive projects. It is hoped that the entire University Community will discover a new excitement and vitality about this place in which we live, work and play together, and that this discovery will propel continued concern about, and responsible action toward, the health of our environment.

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