Canadians have some of the highest personal water footprints in the world. At the University of Waterloo, water is heated using natural gas and therefore contributes to our total operational emissions. Since students are the main users of campus showers, how can we promote the importance of reducing shower duration among the student population?
SDG 13 - Climate Action
There is a growing interest in wastewater heat recovery as an innovative approach to decarbonizing buildings.Can this approach be implemented on campus to reduce the energy and fuel needed to operate the district heating system? Can the system be reversed to provide cooling in the summer months?
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.
Natural gas is the main resource used for heating on campus. The steam-based district heating system operates year-round and supplies steam for much of the university's heating needs. Can electrified alternatives be used in the summer months to reduce annual gas use?
Food services currently uses natural gas for much of its cooking. With natural gas being the single largest source of energy emissions, is there a way to transition to electrified alternatives?
Many of the University of Waterloo's campus buildings were built at a time when insulation, air sealing, and thermal bridging were not major concerns. Consequently, these buildings are not optimal for saving energy and are a large source of greenhouse gas emissions. How can we improve these buildings by prioritizing high-performance building envelopes?
Consumers are often unaware or have misconceptions about the magnitude and factors that contribute to the environmental footprint of their food choices. How do we effectively communicate this to the public?
How do we reach the broader community about sustainability initiatives on campus? What kind of communication tools can we use? What are some important topics to share to others?
What is the best way to reduce the University of Waterloo's operational emissions by 35% below 2015 levels by 2030? Should we start replacing end-of-life landscaping equipment with zero-emission alternatives?