McMaster University

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

McMaster University's environmental policy, which is an appendix to the campus master plan, was approved in 2002. The Environmental Steering Committee, composed of students, staff, faculty, and alumni, meets quarterly to guide sustainability initiatives. McMaster is currently planning to hire a sustainability officer to promote and enhance sustainable initiatives on campus.

McMaster issues an annual environmental report card that sets efficiency and emissions reduction targets. The university reduced overall energy use by 5 percent in 2008 and has implemented energy reduction and water conservation programs that realize annual savings of $1.5 million.

Recycling at McMaster is a joint initiative of the Environmental Steering Committee and the MACgreen student union group. McMaster currently has a 68 percent waste diversion rate. Dining services has not made public any local or sustainable food initiatives.

McMaster's sustainable building policy was adopted in 2005. The policy requires that all new construction on campus incorporate sustainable design concepts and seek LEED Silver certification at a minimum.

McMaster has active student participation for annual events, including Earth Day. MACgreen is a student-run service of the students union and is a chapter of the Campus Climate Challenge.

The facility services department uses four electric vehicles for operations across campus. The university increased public transit ridership and has participated in an annual Commuter Challenge since 2005.

The university makes a list of endowment holdings available to the public by request at an office on campus, as per open records laws. The university does not make its shareholder voting record public.

The university aims to optimize investment return and does not invest in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

The university does not have the ability to vote proxies, as the entire endowment is invested in mutual funds.