Queen’s has launched a new green office certification program to encourage offices across the university to lessen their impact on the environment.

The program, which has already been piloted by Physical Plant Services (PPS), is designed to recognize the sustainable practices offices are already doing and to identify further opportunities to create a greener office.

“Sustainability is an important priority for Queen’s and there is a tremendous opportunity for all of us who work here to help make the university’s daily operations more environmentally friendly,” says Caroline Davis, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration). “The green office certification program aims to get people thinking more about sustainability in the workplace and my office is looking forward to being one of the first signed up to participate.”

The program, managed by the Sustainability Office, uses a series of checklists to assess an office’s green credentials. Points are awarded for each sustainable practice on the checklists and offices are given a certification level based on the number of points they earn: bronze, silver, gold or platinum.

Examples of sustainable practises include

• Setting computers to sleep mode after inactivity
• Properly disposing of e-waste
• Turning off lights in unoccupied areas
• Participating in Queen’s carpool program

“We successfully piloted the green office certification program here in PPS,” says John Witjes, Associate Vice-Principal (Facilities).  “The process is easy: an initial assessment is done using the program’s checklists and then the participating office decides which other sustainable practices they want to adopt. After six months the assessment is done again to see if you’ve moved up in your certification level.”

The program awards points for having one or more sustainability ambassadors and for initiatives that help save energy, improve waste diversion and reduction, and promote more sustainable transportation practices.

“The Sustainability Office is here to guide you through every step of the program. We want it to spark discussions about sustainability and encourage offices to challenge their fellow departments to join.

- Aaron Ball, Sustainability Manager

“The Sustainability Office is here to guide you through every step of the program,” says Aaron Ball, Sustainability Manager. “We want it to spark discussions about sustainability and encourage offices to challenge their fellow departments to join. All offices participating in the program will be recognized on the Sustainability Office website and listed according to their certification level.”

The program aims to bring sustainability to the forefront in daily office operations and to demonstrate the importance of the entire Queen’s community engaging in sustainability.

More information about the program is available on the Sustainability Office website. Anyone who would like more inforamtion or who may be interested in participating in the program can contact Aaron Ball by email or at ext. 33379.