University of New Brunswick

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

The Campus Sustainability Council addresses issues of student involvement and energy management, and is developing a sustainability plan. The university employs a full-time campus sustainability officer responsible for implementing initiatives. The university purchases green cleaning products and bathroom paper products with 100 percent recycled content.

The board of governors approved a $7 million campus-wide energy audit and retrofit program that will be conducted over a seven-year period and is anticipated to reduce annual carbon emissions by 7,000 tons. The university installed a natural gas-burning microturbine to produce 100 kilowatts of electricity for the campus. Lighting has been upgraded to high-efficiency T8 or T5 ballasts.

UNB purchases all produce from a supplier that buys from local farmers based on seasonal availability. Dining halls serve local dairy products, as well as some fair trade coffee and chocolate, and offer vegan options at each meal. Students receive a discount when they bring in a reusable mug.

The university is developing a green building policy and many buildings utilize low-flow faucets and showerheads. Major construction projects strive to divert at least half of nonhazardous construction and demolition waste from landfills.

The university is aiming to hold a carbon neutral orientation week that includes paperless orientation kits equipped with a steel water bottle. The UNB Student Union Eco-committee worked with the administration to allocate funds for a campus bike-sharing program.

Dedicated bicycle paths and storage are available. Transit stops on campus make public transportation accessible to students. The campus master plan and the master utilities plan seek to make UNB pedestrian-friendly.

The university makes a list of all holdings, as well as a list of votes cast on proxy resolutions on a company-specific level, available to the public per open record law. This information is accessible online.

The university aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds. The university is currently developing a framework for investment policy provisions that consider environmental/sustainability factors.

The university provides its investment managers with general guidelines that determine its proxy votes.