Waterloo International is a proud participant in the UWaterloo Green Office Initiative and has recently achieved Silver Certification. The Green Office program provides an avenue for staff and faculty to work as a team to make improvements in the sustainability of their workplace over time. Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Participating in the Green Office program is a way for staff and faculty to be a part of the change they want to see, as they learn new skills and build cross-campus relationships.
Offices become certified by filling out a "Green Scorecard," where they are awarded points for various sustainable actions. Silver certification reflects achieving 68% of the total possible points on the scorecard. As of June 2020, Waterloo International received 86 points out of a possible 139. Even before participating in the Green Office, Waterloo International operated in an environmentally friendly manner. Many sustainable actions in terms of energy consumption and waste management were already in place.
While it has been a challenge to implement many new Green activities remotely, the team has been able to make significant progress on ‘greening’ certain operations and administrative functions in areas such as procurement, employee engagement and training and learning.
The team at Waterloo International is committed to making a positive impact on campus sustainability and has incorporated many sustainable actions into their personal lives. The team’s next goal is to continue implementing positive changes “in how we do the work we do” to positively improve our ecological footprint and social and economic impact with an aim to achieve Gold Certification by the end of the year.
As of June 25, 2020, other Silver Certified offices included the Library, Centre for Extended Learning, Dean of Engineering, English Language Institute, Dean of Environment, Office of the President, Plant Operations, Design Services, Dean of Applied Health Sciences, AccessAbility Services, St. Jerome's University College and Print + Retail Solutions. Check the Green Office webpage for more updates.
