One of the key mechanisms for showing what matters to students is the conversations that they have amongst each other, with their instructors, with university staff, with administrators and other campus members. How can the University of Waterloo encourage more students to engage in sustainability-related conversations?
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Included in the University of Waterloo's Sustainable Landcare Standard is the commitment to follow the Species Planting List for all new plantings. The current Species Planting List was created in 1997 and is limited to native trees and shrubs. What grasses, wildflowers and other plants should be added?
Action item 41 of the University of Waterloo's Shift Neutral climate action plan is the development of an institutional Transportation Demand Management Plan. Part of this plan involves finding creative ways to convince commuters to choose sustainable means when traveling to and from campus. What information does the university need to inform staff and students about the full environmental, social and economic costs of driving?
The use of e-bikes is a great mode of alternative transportation. The University of Waterloo has 18 EV chargers. However, parking in these spots is limited to 4 hours. Additionally, there are no dedicated e-bike parking or charging stations. To what extent should the university adopt and support electric alternatives and their required infrastructure?
At the University of Waterloo, commuting contributes an estimated 19% of emissions associated with the university. Parking fees can be a tool for incentivizing alternative commuting choices. However, an increase in parking fees alone is often a highly unpopular strategy. How can the university introduce best practices from other institutions to promote sustainable transportation?
Some co-op work terms require students to have access to a vehicle for their work. The University of Waterloo is concerned that the convenience of a personal vehicle may result in decreased use of sustainable travel choices for commuting to campus. How can the university better understand the challenges of personal vehicle access for students on co-op terms?
It might be hard to visualize what the University of Waterloo campus might look like by the year 2050. The university plans to be net zero by this time, but what other changes could/should occur? The university is looking for student ideas about what makes a sustainable campus.
Too often, important decisions are made based almost entirely on very narrow economic factors: upfront costs, operational costs, payback periods, etc. and do not take into consideration other implications like health. What communication tools can the University of Waterloo use to highlight the health-based benefits of sustainable practices on campus?
Shrubs play an important role in our urban ecosystems and their climate impacts tend to be underestimated. The University of Waterloo wants to conduct a shrub inventory and impact assessment to determine the biodiversity and health of campus greenspaces.
The presence of trees on campus provides many benefits from sequestering carbon dioxide to supporting mental health. Despite this, the planting and maintaining of trees costs money, and therefore may be among the first services cut when budgets are tight. The University of Waterloo wants to conduct a tree inventory and impact assessment to determine the biodiversity and health of campus greenspaces.