Queen’s reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability today as Principal Daniel Woolf released the university’s Climate Action Plan (CAP).

“Climate change is a significant global issue and Queen’s is committed to doing its part to lessen the environmental impact of its operations,” said Principal Woolf. “The Climate Action Plan helps fulfill this commitment by establishing emissions reduction targets for the near- and long-terms, and by suggesting possible strategies to help achieve those targets.”

The CAP aims to reduce the university’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 35 per cent from 2008 levels by 2020, and by 70 per cent by 2030. It also sets out Queen’s aspiration for climate-neutrality, or net-zero emissions, by 2040.

According to John Witjes, Associate Vice-Principal (Facilities), Queen’s has already made progress in lowering its emissions. As of 2014, the university’s GHG emissions were 17% lower than in 2008, the first year that Queen’s started to track its emissions.

“A number of factors have led to the decline in emissions, including Queen’s investment in a new high-efficiency boiler in the central heating plant, the use of natural gas rather than oil for heating, and a lighting retrofit program,” says Mr. Witjes. “These actions, combined with a decline in the Ontario energy grid emissions factor, have resulted in lower emissions.”

The university is taking further steps to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions through a $10.7-million energy conservation program. In partnership with Honeywell, an energy services company, Queen’s will implement more than 170 energy conservation measures in 66 campus buildings to help move the university closer to its emissions reduction target for 2020.

To facilitate the implementation of the CAP, Principal Woolf will appoint a vice-principal as chair of a new CAP working group. The working group will include representation from a number of units on campus, including student representation, and will be charged with developing a list of actionable items to help the university achieve its emissions reduction targets. When considering possible actions, the committee will take into consideration factors such as the impact on emissions and the financial implications.

The development of the Climate Action Plan began after Principal Woolf signed the University and College Presidents’ Climate Change Statement of Action for Canada in 2010, which committed Queen’s to developing a Climate Action Plan and working to reduce its GHG emissions. The plan’s development involved many members of the Queen’s community, including the students, staff, faculty and community members who participated on the Climate Action Plan Advisory Committee and its working groups. The process included extensive research and data collection, as well as consultation with the Queen’s community through a community forum and a Climate Action Plan survey.

Read the Climate Action Plan on the Principal’s website, or visit the Sustainability Office website to find out more about sustainability at Queen’s.