Queen's University

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

The sustainability office and the new Sustainability Advisory Committee work to advance sustainability on campus. The university purchases Energy Star appliances, environmentally preferable paper products, biorenewable cleaning products, and electronics that meet EPEAT standards, and is currently working to create a purchasing policy that incorporates environmental factors. No herbicides or pesticides are used in grounds maintenance.

The university purchases 26 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and one campus building is home to a 20-kilowatt photovoltaic panel. A greenhouse gas inventory is currently underway.

Queen's purchases exclusively hormone- and antibiotic-free dairy products and sustainably harvested seafood. Some local foods are also purchased. A discount is offered for using reusable mugs in dining locations. All dining facilities compost pre- and postconsumer food waste, and all landscaping waste is composted or mulched. The campus also runs recycling programs for traditional and electronic materials.

The Integrated Learning Center has achieved BREEAM certification, and three campus buildings are expected to achieve LEED certification. The university's most recent construction projects recycled 75 percent of nonhazardous construction waste. The university has installed low-flow showerheads, faucets, urinals, and toilets in some existing campus buildings.

The sustainability office of the Alma Mater Society led a paper-free orientation, providing all new students with necessary information on reusable USB drives. The student-led Earth Centre sells environmentally responsible products to the campus community. The sustainability office of the Main Campus Residence Council audits internal operations to make recommendations about sustainability to staff.

Queen's offers discounted parking permits and reserved parking spots to carpoolers. Students receive a free bus pass, and the university offers a shuttle around campus.

The university makes a list of all holdings available to the public per open record law and sends the information upon request. A list of votes cast on proxy resolutions on a company-specific level is sent upon request to the public per open record law.

The university aims to optimize investment return and does not invest in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds. Most of the university's investment managers already incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their evaluation of investment opportunities.

The university provides its investment managers with general guidelines that determine its proxy votes. Queen's has developed a Statement on Responsible Investing. The policy sets in place an infrastructure to address investment concerns raised by a range of stakeholder groups within the university community, and will provide for a range of responses that may include the active voting of proxies, direct engagement with companies, and/or divestment.