Page 2 - Sustainability Plan
P. 2

The goals and values of Royal
Roads University speak directly to sustainability – especially in how integral it is to our university brand. The sustainability plan is integrated into our business plan, a key component of moving forward as Royal Roads continues to grow and expand its student base worldwide.
INTRODUCTION
At Royal Roads University, environmental sustainability is not only intrinsically linked to our teaching and research mandate,
it is a challenge that calls for the kind of interdisciplinary and collaborative problem- solving at which we excel.
We see climate change as one of the most critical challenges of our time. Achieving the targets in this sustainability plan highlights the environmental leadership needed to meet this challenge. We exemplify our desire to live in harmony with the traditional lands and peoples of the Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) and Lekwungen (Songhees) families, the friends of the Hatley Park National Historic site, our staff, faculty and students, our alumni and citizens of the Westshore community
Royal Roads University is reducing its impact on climate change. We will meet the B.C. government legislated target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in the B.C. public sector by 33 per cent by 2020;
we will work to meet our Board of Governors’ target of reducing GHGs by 50 per cent by 2020 and we will achieve a platinum level ranking in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) of
the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) – the highest rating possible among universities and colleges in North America.
The sustainability plan will allow us to measure our success. We will track our performance and determine our return on
investment for sustainability through the plan’s 10 areas of focus.
Our commitment to sustainability has long been re ected in our policies such as the Environmental Stewardship Policy of 2000, the Corporate Social Responsibility Policy of 2005, and we bring these commitments to the table in partnership documents such as the Talloires Declaration on Climate Change signed in 2007, and the University President’s declaration in 2008.
Royal Roads University’s  rst sustainability plan (2008) clearly demonstrated to the community our commitment to environmental sustainability and mitigating climate change.
Welcome attention came from energy and utility companies, the B.C. government and granting agencies, which enabled us to complete a full energy audit and conduct building energy retro ts throughout the campus. As described in the Energy & Emissions area of focus, the results of these retro t activities have been excellent. We reduced our GHG emissions by 22 per cent
in 2013 and are well on our way to achieving a 29 per cent reduction in 2015.
At the same time as the university undertook retro ts, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (BSc-ES) students submitted the university sustainability activity results to the STARS ranking of AASHE, and Royal Roads achieved a silver star – the  rst university in Canada to do so. In 2013, this silver was turned to gold, based on improvements in operations
efforts, increased sustainability focused curriculum and for the implementation of new sustainability initiatives on campus.
We connect people, ideas and experiences to change lives and the world.
This sustainability plan is nested in the overall strategic direction of the university. The Of ce of Sustainability has the lead responsibility to implement the plan, in collaboration with the academic, operations and community relations divisions of our university, under the leadership of the Royal Roads executive team.
We are leaders and partners creating an enduring prosperity. Transformation in
career and life results from our teaching and research applied to solve problems and create opportunities in the world.
The Of ce of Sustainability provides support for student projects, community partnerships and research projects at Royal Roads and within the community.
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