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Table of Contents
About the Alma Mater Society 2
Executive Summary 3
Background 6
Introduction 6
Why a Sustainability Strategy? 6
Methodology 7
Scope 10
The Strategy 12
Vision 12
Purpose 12
Targets 13
Implementation 22
Annual Timeline 22
Setting Annual Priorities 23
Action Plans 24
Projects 24
Annual Reporting 24
Roles and Responsibilities 25
Acknowledgements 26
Appendix A – Annual Audit Form 27
Appendix B - Ecological Footprint Analysis 30
Appendix C - AMS Environmental Impact Audit 38
Executive Summary
The AMS recognizes the responsibility to reduce and eliminate any negative social and ecological
impacts of our existence as an institution, as well as the responsibility to actively improve both the social
and ecological environments in which we work and our surrounding communities. Sustainability and the
wellbeing of our environment and our people are and will remain a priority for the AMS. For this reason,
AMS Council passed an Environmental Sustainability Policy in January 2007 that called for the creation of
a sustainability strategy for the AMS.
We recognize that there are three important
pillars to environmental sustainability: that it is the
harmony of ecological, social, and economic aspects.
We believe that these three pillars should be
considered together because attempts to mitigate the
current environmental crisis must include a
consideration of how we can create a more just and
equitable society and how we can use our economic
resources responsibly and ethically to support those
objectives.
In this updated version of the strategy, we start by analysing the measurability of the previous
version and how feasible the targets and indicators have been in the past five years. From there, we will
redevelop targets that reflect the current state of business and allow for more effective year-end
auditing. This is necessary because the strategy should be subject to comparison with actions done in
accordance each year to better inform both the AMS and external parties on how well we are working
towards environmental sustainability, and what should be improved upon for the upcoming year. The
new set of targets and indicators will undergo consultation with stakeholders both within and without
the organization to not just realize feasibility, but also to gain commitment from each stakeholder to
work toward the goals of the strategy. The goals outlines in the SDSS are not meant to be achieved by
AMS Sustainability alone; they are meant to be achieved through collaboration and delegation with both
internal AMS stakeholders and external stakeholders from the broader UBC community. In this way, the
AMS will discover a strategy that is holistic and attainable while remaining a leader of campus
environmental sustainability.
Due to the length of these targets, they will be listed in broad categories rather than in detail. It
is important to remember that the categories can be broken down even further to fit a list of key
priorities. The priorities within these categories have an overlap of social, environmental and economic
impacts. The categories of concern will include:
1. Food and Beverage
2. Building Operations
3. Administrative Operations
4. Transportation
5. Communication
6. Partnerships
7. Social Sustainability and Wellbeing
8. Finance and Transparency
9. Biodiversity and Climate
The VP Administration and Associate VP Sustainability will prioritize the targets based on the
knowledge set and interests of each year’s staff and students, and to align those with projects that will
help further develop the Strategy. An annual report will be produced by the Associate VP Sustainability
to ensure that the targets are current, relevant and being improved upon. This report will be the
amalgamation of interdisciplinary and collaborative partnership aimed at achieved the goals set out by
the SDSS. It is strongly encouraged that AMS Sustainability and the VP Admin office consult with student
groups in a meaningful way to ensure their priorities align with the priorities of the students they
represent.
The goals set out by the SDSS cannot be achieved through siloed and isolated work. It can only be
achieved by including all stakeholders, students, staff and faculty, aligning our priorities and establishing
a partnership that is mutually beneficial and keeping each other accountable for commitments.
Stakeholder Map below created by the Sustainability Collective during the 2018 Climate Town Hall
Background
Name Change and Consultation
The AMS Lighter Footprint Strategy name was changed in 2018 for two reasons. The acronym LFS
created confusion because it’s the same acronym as the faculty ‘Land and Food Systems’. Secondly, and
most importantly, the name AMS LFS was changed to AMS SDSS because AMS Sustainability valued the
student input that allowed for the creation of this document. The name ‘AMS Student Driven
Sustainability Strategy’ reflects the importance of voicing student values and opinion in AMS strategies.
In the 2017-2018 revamp of the LFS(SDSS), the Associate Vice-President Sustainability ensured to consult
multiple students/student groups several times throughout the year.
The following groups were consulted for the 2017-2018 revamp:
● AMS
○ Initial conversations with previous AMS Executives
○ Consultation with key AMS permanent staff (additionally to the Working Group)
○ Ongoing consultation with 2017-2018 VP Admin
○ Presented to AMS Council four times
● Campus +Community Planning
○ Bud Fraser, Liska Richer, Charlene Ponto, Kshamta Hunter, Karen Selby
● LFS Working Group
○ Several AMS Staff and C+CP
● Student Groups
○ Presented at the Student Sustainability Council twice
○ Received feedback from the LFS Focus Group (ongoing through 2017-2018)
○ Consulted with the Sustainability Collective (bi-weekly updates through 2017-
2018)
○ Presented to the Sustainability Ambassadors twice
In order to achieve environmental sustainability, it is important to identify the ways in which the
ecological aspect would receive impact through our daily operations and activities, and thereafter
identify how the social and economic aspects will fit in with the requirements of the ecological aspect.
This document previously focused specifically on ecological sustainability and attempted to provide a
comprehensive Strategy for how the AMS can become a more environmentally sustainable organization.
In the 2017-2018 revamp, the definition of sustainability was expanded to include social sustainability
and attempted to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how our natural environment and
our social well being are deeply connected. The previous version of the SDSS (LFS) placed tremendous
value on operational sustainability. While that is extremely important to work on maintaining an
ecologically friendly institution, it’s essential to have a more holistic grasp on the interconnectedness of
our social, environmental and economic systems and how our partnerships, both externally and
internally, can help us achieve our goals.
This document outlines the impacts of the AMS and opportunities where we have the greatest
sphere of influence. It also defines a set of targets and metrics for each target that will guide the AMS in
reducing its negative impact. This document is a resource for any future AMS leaders to implement the
recommended initiatives that will make the AMS a more sustainable and just organization and build on
the progress made each year. The SDSS is meant to be a comprehensive and integrated strategy for the
student government to incorporate into all their departments to reduce negative their impacts as an
organization and act as leaders for a sustainable future.
Why a Sustainability Strategy?
As the student government, the AMS has a responsibility to represent student voices, priorities
and concerns. The UBC community has several student groups of dedicated, passionate and capable
individuals who are passionate about sustainability and climate change. As a result, it is our privilege to
create a strategy that reflects the student voice. The vision for AMS Sustainability, and the AMS in
general, is for us to act as a liaison between students and UBC. What sets the SDSS apart from other
sustainability strategies is that is representative of the student groups who are the changemakers at
UBC. The 2017-2018 revamp of the SDSS including extensive and meaningful student consultation, and
AMS Sustainability is proud to put forth the new strategy. It’s also important for strategies centered on
sustainability and climate change to understand the relevance of holistic system changes in order to
address the root causes of the environmental crisis. The SDSS attempts to provide a more
comprehensive strategy for tackling this global issue. Many of the goals in the SDSS are based on the UN
SDGs. Our priority areas reflect those of students, the UBC community and some of the priorities on the
international level. The SDSS is aligned with UBC strategies in the categories it is able to cover. It is meant
to connect people, ideas and goals in order to effectively create change through interdisciplinary and
collaborative work. The SDSS is meant to tie in different targeted, more specific strategies and represent
an overview of climate action/sustainability goals that are focused on student priorities.
Past Success
The AMS has been a leader in implementing environmentally-sound practices, such as:
● Providing discounts for students who bring reusable mugs to AMS food outlets
● Reducing paper usage by switching to electronic documents
● Creating the Student Environment Center as one of five Resource Groups
● Selling only organic, fair trade coffee at AMS Businesses
● Adopting an ethical purchasing policy
Some of the most important environmental achievements of the AMS have involved working in
cooperation with other organizations. For example, the U-Pass program, which offers transit passes at
reduced prices to all AMS members, is a cooperative effort between the AMS, TransLink, UBC and
Vancity Credit Union. This program has reduced emissions by more than 16,000 tonnes per year, and has
reduced the number of single occupancy vehicles traveling to UBC each day by more than 20%.
Other AMS achievements reached by interacting with other groups include:
● Working with the UBC Farm and the UBC Food Systems Project to purchase organically grown
food from within two kilometers of production
● Establishing the AMS Bike Kitchen and Co-op
● Composting 100% of pre-consumer food waste, and some post-consumer food and compostable
paper waste, in cooperation with UBC Waste Management
● Purchasing 30% recycled paper in cooperation with UBC Supply Management
● Reducing the Nests electricity consumption by over 1 million kWh per year in cooperation with
UBC Land and Building Services
● Establishing Sprouts, UBC’s food cooperative and natural food store
● Successfully working on SEEDS Capstone projects for several years
● Creation of the Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for AMS Sustainability to foster and
strengthen ongoing partnership and collaboration with campus stakeholders (students, staff, and
faculty)
● Maintenance of the SLSC, a space meant to be a ‘hub’ for sustainability at the Nest
● One of the founding members of the Sustainability Collective, a group of 12+ student groups who
focus on climate action and climate justice
While these successes alone help to set the AMS apart from organizations without environmental
initiatives, the AMS faces challenges in making long-term, coordinated commitments to reducing our
environmental impact and being a leader in sustainability. Due to high organizational turnover each year
and limited resources, our ability to build on previous initiatives and assess our progress towards our
goals are impaired. Thus, strategic planning is essential for an organization like the AMS to overcome
these barriers and ensure continuation of long-term reductions in the organization’s environmental
impact. This strategy hopes to influence the higher level, long-term goals, priorities and strategic
planning of the AMS by providing a detailed framework that can be used by student leaders to set,
implement and measure goals in sustainability for many years to come.
Methodology
The process of developing this strategy began with an initial audit of the AMS’ environmental
impact (Appendix C). The assessment was very high-level and looked at the various departments,
operations and activities of the AMS. This audit produced some effective data and benchmarks from
which the AMS could develop targets. Some initial consultation sessions were held with AMS permanent
staff, senior management and the Executive Committee. This information was used to produce the first
draft of the strategy, which was subsequently taken to AMS Council and students-at-large for
consultation. The feedback received from these consultations was used to develop the final draft of this
strategy.
The original version of this strategy uses the concept of ecological footprint analysis as its basis.
Ecological footprint analysis is a technique developed by UBC's Dr. William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel
that measures how much productive land and marine area a group of people require to produce the
resources they consume and absorb the waste they produce. This framework allows the AMS to use both
a quantitative and qualitative approach to setting targets. For those areas where it is not yet possible to
set quantitative targets, ecological footprint allows us to make decisions about what initiatives should be
taken and the general impact reduction that will be made.
Using an ecological footprint analysis, the AMS can define each target in terms of a low,
moderate, high and very high ecological footprint. This distinction allows the AMS to focus its energy on
the areas that will have the greatest impact. For a more detailed background on ecological footprint, see
Appendix B.
In this updated version of the strategy, we start by analysing the measurability of the previous
version and how feasible the targets and indicators have been in the past five years. From there, we will
redevelop targets that reflect the current state of business and allow for more effective year-end
auditing. This is necessary because the strategy should be subject to comparison with actions done in
accordance each year to better inform both the AMS and external parties on how well we are working
towards environmental sustainability, and what should be improved upon for the upcoming year. The
new set of targets and indicators will undergo consultation with stakeholders both within and without
the organization to not just realize feasibility, but also to gain commitment from each stakeholder to
work toward the goals of the strategy. In this way, the AMS will discover a strategy that is holistic and
attainable while remaining a leader of campus sustainability.
Scope
The AMS represents over 54,000 UBC-Vancouver students, operates a variety of student services
and businesses, and supports over 400 clubs and constituencies. The AMS also oversees the
management of the AMS Student Society Building “Nest”, leases space to non AMS businesses
throughout the building, and oversaw the construction of the leased basement of the UBC Life Building,
to be operational in 2018. In addition to offering services to students, the AMS advocates for student
issues to the University administration, the Municipal, Provincial and Federal governments, and other
external organizations such as TransLink.
We undertook an initial audit (Appendix C) of the AMS in order to define our environmental
impact, and thus define the scope of this strategy. In this audit, several areas were identified that could
be considered when defining the AMS’ impact:
● AMS operations and businesses
● AMS clubs and constituencies
● Partnerships with other organizations
● Ecological behaviour of AMS members
● Environmental impact of UBC’s operations
The initial audit identified that it would be more helpful to think in terms of the AMS’ sphere of
influence rather than impact. This sphere of influence helped to identify and define the targets that were
used in the original strategy to measure how far we have come in meeting our objectives. In this version
of the strategy, we would like to focus on the impact based on what we can influence. These will
include impacts that are internal as well as interactive:
● Internal impacts that the AMS can act on without the cooperation of external parties, such as
changing AMS purchasing practices.
● Interactive impacts that require interaction with groups such as the UBC administration,
TransLink, the City of Vancouver, or student organizations at other universities and colleges.
Interaction with other bodies should strive to build cooperative relationships, but does not
exclude active lobbying and campaigning when this is judged to be the most effective strategy.
However, this will be modified so that they are reflected in one realm of concern instead of being
two separate streams to address, so that in relevant realms of concern, there will be targets that
combine internal and interactive concerns.
The areas of concern will include:
1. Food and Beverage
2. Building Operations
3. Administrative Operations
4. Transportation
5. Communication
6. Campus relations
7. Social Sustainability and Wellbeing
8. Finance and Transparency
9. Biodiversity and Climate
Student Driven Sustainability Strategy and Long-term Goals
Theme Goals
Waste Increase the diversion rate in the Nest.
Improve back of house sorting.
Food Purchasing/offering more local, organic, sustainable food for the outlets and work with the AMS Food Bank.
Eco-to-Go + Bring Your Own Container (BYOC) incentives and reduce food waste.
Climate Focus on divestment; reduce building emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Advocate for climate justice/action with VP AUA and Sustainability Collective.
Social Sustainability/Community
Support First Nations in their sustainability endeavors and foster a relationship aimed at centering their voices.
Consolidate and improve existing relationships with campus organizations.
Establish internal institutional support to achieve our sustainability goals as the student government.
Education/Awareness Work with campus organizations to educate students/staff/faculty on the importance of sustainability.
Enforce ongoing rigid training for AMS staff on sustainability (especially kitchen staff).
Transportation Continue lobbying for the UPass program and the Line and other busses on campus.
Support bike-sharing programs at UBC.
Purchasing/Procurement Aligning packaging in the Nest with UBC campus-wide guideline and include a sustainability statement in future/renewing leases (linked to existing Ethical Procurement policy).
Reduce the amount of waste produced (4Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).
SPF/Finance
Continued support for projects/events.
Improve funding procedures for Capstone projects and maintenance for existing projects.
Biodiversity Support C+CP with initiatives that enhance biodiversity through education and campus community engagement, and demonstration.
Utilize the Campus as a Living Laboratory.
Wellbeing Ensure student health and wellbeing are a priority for the AMS/UBC and collaborate with VP AUA on advocating on these issues.
Educate the community on the relationship between human wellbeing and the wellbeing of our planet and built environment.
Transparency/Accountability Ensure we are transparent and use our website/newsletter as a way to keep students informed.
Value student opinions and priorities and establish a mechanism of accountability.
Targets
The targets define the specific objectives that will help us achieve our Purpose.
The VP Administration and AVP Sustainability will be responsible for reviewing these targets
each year to ensure relevancy, and to initiate projects that will help resolve or improve a target action.
The Sustainability Projects Coordinator will assist the in creating the projects as well as implementing
them. The VP Administration will work with the AVP Sustainability to ensure continuous monitoring and
improvement of the targets. UBC SEEDS and independent studies will be a resource as a starting point
for most projects, and the Sustainability Projects Fund committee will be an avenue for project proposals
that are helpful to the goals of the Strategy.
The targets are set out so that there is a broad, overarching goal, which then branches into
actions that should be taken to improve upon the target. Each action is followed by a measurement,
which is set in a specific quantitative or qualitative measurement in Appendix A.
Some targets are quantitative, where good data or provincial legislation exists. For most targets
where we do not have adequate data to determine a baseline, the targets provide a general direction to
reduce our ecological footprint. Over time, as better data is collected, general targets will become
quantitative. A suggestion for future AVPs would be to collect effective data for measurable targets and
establish a baseline. Once this is done, the AVPs should create feasible targets based off of the
suggestion of AMS and UBC stakeholders as well as students.
In the AMS Environmental Impact Audit (Appendix C), the AMS’ environmental impact was not
precisely defined because it may have taken years before we had adequate data to assess our impact.
Thus, it would have been arbitrary to set uninformed estimates of footprint reduction. We prefer to be
honest about our limitations in our data collection than set out unaccountable numerical targets.
Actions
In order to meet our objectives, it is important to outline a list of specific actions for each target.
In the AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy, each target includes many action items. These actions
include data gathering to set informed targets as well as direct actions to reduce our environmental
impact. Each year, the VP Administration and the AVP Sustainability will be responsible for deciding
which proposed actions are to be completed during that year.
Measurement
The measurements are the metrics that will be used to assess our progress. They will be assessed
each year for the annual progress report. Some are easier to measure than others; therefore it is
possible that not all of the measurements will be assessed every year. The measurements used in the
AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy have been adapted from two sources: the Campus
Sustainability Assessment Framework (CSAF) and the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating
System (STARS). They have then been reviewed for relevance for AMS operations moving forward. We
chose not to use all indicators from either system because both sets of indicators were developed to be
applied for the entire university. However, tying ourselves to an external framework will allow the AMS
to be accountable for our actions and enable us to compare our progress to other post-secondary
institution in Canada and the United States.
Food and Beverage Target 1
Reduce average ecological footprint of food and beverage items sold at AMS food outlets
Actions Sub-Action
Increase the purchase of local food ingredients as a percentage of total food purchases
Monitor the percent of total local food purchases annually
Increase proportion of items procured from local farms when and where applicable
Monitor the proportion of total food procured from local farms annually
Reduce high impact ingredients like meat and dairy in AMS food outlets as a percentage of total food
purchases by increasing vegetarian, vegan and raw food menu options
Determine and improve upon the percentage of meat and dairy ingredients used in food outlets, as
well as the proportion of vegetarian or vegan options in food outlets annually
Increase the purchase of ingredients that are of or exceed industry sustainability, fair trade and health
standards
Monitor the proportion of ingredients that are of or exceed industry sustainability, fair trade and health
standards
Target 2
Reduce the ecological footprint at all non-AMS food outlets
Actions Sub-Action
Develop an agreed reduction in average per-serving ecological footprint of menu items, to be inserted in
future/renewing tenancy agreements
Determine the average per-serving ecological footprint of menu items, and work with outlet management to develop a feasible reduction
Ensure sustainability and ecological well being are considered priorities for new and renewing tenants
at the AMS Nest
Include a component of their new/renewed leases outlining their sustainability priorities depending on
the kind of food and beverages they sell
Target 3
Aid the increase of food production on campus and the communities surrounding campus
Actions Sub-Action
Continuous monitoring of the success of the rooftop garden in the AMS Nest
Monitor the food production annually, by developing a tracking system with the Orchard
Garden staff/volunteers
Continuously work with professors and students on food systems improvement projects.
Report on any food systems improvement projects annually
Collaborate and work with student groups in the Nest and Life Building like Sprouts
Increased collaboration and assistance
Target 4
Reduce waste produced from all outlets
Actions Measurement
Continuous monitoring of the success of Eco-To-Go throughout AMS Nest
Monitor the percentage of students preferring the program annually, by developing a tracking system
Providing continued incentives for customers to bring their own mugs and reusable containers in
order to increase BYOC
Monitor the percentage of BYOC transactions annually to reach our goals of a 15% increase in
BYOC (example: financial incentives, shorter lines, loyalty program)
Reduce the amount of bottled water being sold and make it less visible
Work with the Healthy Beverage Initiative
Increase the amount of water fountains in the Nest and make signage for fountains more visible
Align with the Healthier Beverage Initiative and their measurements for increasing water fountains
on campus
Eliminate polystyrene products (#6 plastics, Styrofoam) and plastic bags from the AMS Nest
Work with C+CP
Target 5
Reduce food insecurity on campus
Action Sub-Action
Reduce food insecurity of UBC students through a systems approach
Work with the Student Services Manager, SEEDS and LFS 350/450 to determine the needs and
potential solutions to address food insecurity on campus
Work with student groups to raise awareness on this issue
Collaborate with the AMS Food Bank, Common Energy, Sprouts, Roots on the Roof (amongst others) to share food resources with students
Building Operations
Target 1
Reduce the quantities of disposable materials used in AMS building and business operations by
50%
Action Sub- Action
Track waste materials within the AMS Nest Monitor waste materials by using data collected
from the electronic waste scale in an annual
summary
Develop an effective user-end waste separation
system, or adoption of an existing system such as
that of the UBC Sustainability Office
Measure the diversion rate at the annual Waste
Audit
Continuous monitoring and maintenance of the
AMS composting program
Monitor the pre- and post-consumer waste captured
annually
Ensure that items of all waste streams are captured,
including electronic disposables and toxic/chemical
waste
Set up a toxic waste collection at the SLSC and create
an awareness campaign
Ensure all renovations performed on AMS property,
or are led by AMS staff, meet energy efficiency
standards and are sustainably managed.
Include the Sustainability Office in discussions
regarding renovations
Target 2
Conserve building energy use
Action Sub-Action
Awareness among staff, tenants and clubs to turn
off lights and unplug electronics when not in use
Intra-organization campaign and including this into
their tenancy agreements
Track energy use within the Nest and Life Building Monitor building energy use in an annual summary
Target 3
Reduce building water usage
Action Sub-Action
Identify areas of opportunity for each line of
business to reduce water usage and consumption
Potential UBC SEEDS student project
Align with UBC wide target to reduce overall water
consumption
Ensure ongoing partnership to achieve these goals
together and hold each other accountable
Administrative Operations
Target 1
Decrease the ecological footprint of the office environment
Action Sub-Action
Reduce paper usage Monitor the amount of paper ordered every year
Work as a Sustainability Coordinator for C+CP to
reduce ecological footprint of AMS offices
Have ongoing meetings with AMS Administration and
C+CP Green Offices program
Develop ways to re-use communication materials
produced by the AMS
Work with the communications department and AMS
Events to ensure more sustainable practices
Reducing printing ink usage by an attainable
fraction of current usage
Monitor the amount of printing ink ordered per year
Develop improved electronic filing systems to
reduce the need for physical filing where feasible
Work with AMS office administration to reduce paper
filing where possible
Target 2
Procurement of sustainable materials and equipment when replacements are needed
Action Sub-Action
Replacement of electronic office equipment with
ethically and sustainably-sourced electronics that
have a longer average lifetime than the
equipment being replaced
Collaborate with AMS IT and UBC Green Offices to
source sustainable and ethical electronics
Migrating office materials to electronic versions
or reusable material
Assist with AMS IT where help is needed
Transportation
Target 1
Reduce single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips and increase transit ridership to campus
Action Sub-Action
Continue the AMS transit lobbying campaign aimed Monitor the frequency of usage of commuter’s end-of-
at improving transit service
trip facilities provided by the Nest
Track transportation-related greenhouse gas
emissions in cooperation with related groups
Potential SEEDS project
Continue to lobby UBC Housing and Conferences and
the UBC administration to increase the amount of
affordable on-campus student housing
Assist the VP AUA when necessary
Communicate with UBC Campus and Community
Planning and the AMS Bike Kitchen to improve
cycling routes and increase the number of secure
bike facilities around campus
Meet with C+CP along with VP External to create an
action plan to increase cycling on campus
Lobby for improved intra-campus transit circulation Continue to support the potential for a bike-share
program
Negotiate with Province of BC and TransLink to
maintain the UPass BC program that that will
continue to provide affordable public transit for AMS
fee-paying members
Assist VP External when necessary
Reduce number of flights taken by AMS staff and
executives for work-related travel
Encourage AMS Executives/Staff to attend local
conferences/initiatives or call in to distant ones
Communications Target 1
Incorporate sustainability into AMS communications with staff, clubs and constituencies
Action Sub Action
Update all training manuals for staff, executives, councillors, commissions and clubs to include
sustainability training and best practices
Focus on training for kitchen staff for waste sorting. Special focus should be paid to no plastics in organics.
Ensure we are working together with C+CP and the Zero Waste Coordinator to achieve this goal.
Reduce ecological footprint of AMS events to act as a model for other UBC community groups
Create an evaluation framework for events to adhere to
Work with AMS constituencies to create a sustainability plan for their organizations
Have an initial meeting with AMS Constituencies and Sustainability Ambassadors to act as sustainability
consultants
Target 2
Continue to support UBC in creating and implementing the UBC 20-Year Sustainability Strategy
Action Sub-Action
Ensure that the AVP Sustainability and the VP AUA regularly liaise with the UBC Sustainability Office
AVP Sustainability and VP AUA should have monthly meetings to determine the progress of the
implementation plan for the 20-Year Sustainability Strategy
Target 3
Increase student awareness of AMS environmental initiatives
Action Sub-Action
Produce an annual report on the AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy that includes updates on initiatives undertaken and progress on targets
VP Admin and AVP Sustainability to work on implementing the SDSS goals through the AMS Unit
Plan (living document) with institutional support from the AMS
Maintain a comprehensive, accessible, up-to-date and user-friendly website
Work with AMS Communication to ensure sustainability is a key component of our online
presence
Incorporate sustainability into the AMS “brand” and all AMS communications each year
Check-in with Communications manager at the start of term
Work with businesses to actively promote incentives for customers to choose environmentally friendly
Include the Food and Beverages manager and Common Energy for a more collaborative plan
options, such as lighter footprint menu options and materials that have the lowest ecological footprint
Creation and continuous monitoring of an integrated energy dashboard system
Continue this monitoring through a directed studies
Biodiversity and Climate Target 1
Increase biodiversity on campus
Actions Sub-Actions
Support student and staff/faculty initiatives that promote biodiversity
Work with the Agronomy Garden, UBC Farm, Roots on the Roof and C+CP/USI
Work with SEEDS to promote and support student projects on increasing biodiversity on campus
Assist with raising awareness and engaging with students on biodiversity and project results
Target 2
Enhance biodiversity through education, demonstration, and campus and community engagement.
Actions Sub-Actions
Increase community understanding on the importance of biodiversity through education
Support C+CP with initiatives that target biodiversity through education and engagement
Target 3
Encourage the AMS and UBC to divest from fossil fuels
Action Sub-Action
Gradually divest the AMS’s investment portfolio from fossil fuels, to serve as an example for other
universities and student governments in Canada and
Work with the VP Finance and Sustainability Funds Administrator to modify the AMS Investment Policy by
adding fossil-free investing under the sub-headings
around the world “Purpose and Goals”, “Definitions”, and “Policy: Priority of Investment Objectives”1
Keep UBC accountable for their divestment commitments and advocate for more ambitious
divestment in the future, in accordance with with AMS Policy #E-2: UBC Divestment From Fossil Fuels
Advocate for more ambitious targets and work alongside UBCC350, the Sustainability Collective and VP AUA and keep UBC accountable for their existing
divestment commitments
Maintain transparent and feasible divestment action plans with both the AMS and UBC
Work with AMS and UBC stakeholders, and student groups to develop a holistic plan
Target 4
Advocate for climate justice and prioritize it in our endeavours
Action Sub-Action
Ensure that as the student government understand that the most marginalized communities all over the world
bear the heavy burden of climate change
Work alongside student groups like the Collective to learn about the interconnectedness of climate change and
social justice
Highlight Indigenous voices when talking about climate justice
Connect with Indigenous groups on campus, the Collective and the Social Justice Centre to share their stories
Educate the UBC Community, including students, staff and faculty on climate justice
Support student groups in hosting events and workshops aimed at educating and engaging with community
members
Incorporate climate justice and Indigenous issues in a variety of courses at UBC
Work with USI, the Collective and VP AUA to determine the best approach at academic incorporation of these
issues
Move forward in our practices and endeavours as the student government in reducing our negative impact on
Indigenous communities in relation to climate change
Support indigenous groups on campus and create an environment of meaningful inclusion with VP AUA
Partnerships Target 1
1 The AMS Investment Policy can be found here: http://www.ams.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/226-17-AMS-Internal-Investment-Policy-Final-2016-207-updated-2.pdf
Work with faculty, UBC Sustainability Office and other groups to develop a more problem-based learning curriculum aimed at reducing our ecological footprint and creating a stronger
ecological learning community
Action Sub Action
Expand the number of SEEDS and similar research/outreach projects where feasible
Establish a comprehensive MOU and an ensuing action plan to ensure ongoing collaboration
Maintain the Sustainability Centre in the AMS Nest to integrate ecological learning and engagement into
daily Nest visitors
Turn the SLSC into a sustainability ‘Hub’ at the Nest
Work with interested students and faculty to support and promote ecological learning in all UBC faculties
Work with USI and SEEDS to integrate sustainability into the curriculum
Encourage UBC to increase funding for environmentally focused faculty research
Advocate for this with the VP AUA
Target 2
Maintain successful events for with the UBC Sustainability Initiative (USI) each year
Action Sub-Action
Timely planning for the upcoming events each year (example: UBC Reads Sustainability, Sustainability
Fair and Storytelling Night) to allow for time to advertise to the entire campus about each event
Meet with USI before the start of the school year and throughout the year
Study the proportion of students engaged by USI/AMS events to reach out to broader spectrum of
students
Receive feedback after events to ensure attendee satisfaction (Potential UBC SEEDS project)
Target 3
Consolidate and improve existing relationships with campus organizations
Action Sub-Action
Ensure there is an ongoing partnership with different campus stakeholders and we align our priorities to
achieve our common goals
Key campus stakeholders include but are not limited to: SEEDS, C+CP, USI, student groups and AMS
constituencies/clubs, UBC Farm, LFS staff and faculty
Finance and Transparency Target 1
Find more sustainable methods to fund Capstone projects and grow the SPF portfolio
Action Sub-Action
Create a permanent funding mechanism for Capstone projects that is easy to navigate and will ensure success
Work with the VP Finance and VP Administration to set aside guaranteed funding for Capstone projects
Promote the SPF in a way that invites projects and initiatives that will further our sustainability goals
Use our own social media outlets to promote the SPF, collaborate with USI, and share best practices with
applicants
Target 2
Maintenance of existing projects and continued support for future projects
Action Sub-Action
Set aside funding for the maintenance of existing sustainability projects at the Nest
Work with VP Finance and VP Administration to set aside funding for maintenance
Identify non-financial resources that can provide continued support for SPF projects
Collaborate with SEEDS and student groups to maximize the capacity and success of ongoing projects
Target 3
Promote our services and assistance to on campus stakeholders and ensure we are transparent and accountable
Action Sub-Action
Use our social media outlets to ensure students know about the ways in which we can assist and support their
initiatives
The Outreach and Engagement Coordinator will grow our social media outlets and support students initiatives
Regularly check in with student groups so they can provide feedback on our targets and action plans
Prioritize student concerns in the implementation plan for the SDSS
Social Sustainability and Wellbeing Target 1
Support First Nations in their sustainability endeavors and foster a relationship aimed at centering their voices
Action Sub-Action
Understand that creating an equitable world is a key component of a sustainable future
Educate students, staff and faculty on the importance of indigenous sovereignty and its
connection to the environment
Center Indigenous voices on the issues they face due to climate change
Collaborate with Indigenous student groups and support their sustainability related initiatives in a
meaningful way
Target 2
Establish internal institutional support to achieve our sustainability goals as the student government.
Action Sub-Action
Determine the most effective way for the AMS to provide institutional support for sustainability
initiatives
Set up initial meetings to discuss the support of sustainability initiatives from non-AMS Sustainability stakeholders in the student government (example:
Committee, Sub-Committee, Working Group, Council, etc)
Integrate sustainability into the different AMS Executive portfolios
Ensure ongoing internal AMS collaboration to achieve the goals set out the SDSS through regular
meetings between AVP Sustainability and AMS Executives
Target 3
Ensure student health and wellbeing are a priority for the AMS/UBC and collaborate with VP AUA on advocating on these issues.
Action Sub-Action
Educate the community on the relationship between human wellbeing and the wellbeing of our
planet and built environment.
Collaborate with UBC Wellbeing and align our priorities with the Okanagan Charter
Advocate for student health/wellbeing with the VP AUA
Consult with students in a meaningful way to determine what their main priorities and concerns
are and plan our advocacy accordingly
Implementation
What AMS Will Do
A sustainability strategy is only as effective as its implementation. In order for the AMS to reach
the targets outlined in this strategy, it will be important that there is strong awareness of, and support
for, this strategy. Implementation must occur at all levels of the AMS – from strategic planning at the
Council and Executive level, to management of the businesses, to the daily work of part-time employees,
AMS Clubs and Constituencies, volunteers and researchers.
This section is intended to clarify the roles and responsibilities of people and positions
responsible for implementing this strategy and to provide more detailed information on how to take the
appropriate steps to implement this strategy. This section is by no means exhaustive; relying solely on
this information will not be enough to implement this strategy. The successful implementation of this
strategy will require great leadership, inspiring vision and strong commitment from all levels of the AMS.
It is imperative for the AMS to establish internal institutional support for sustainability and climate
action. Sustainability is meant to be a part of every department; it is not meant to be driven solely by
one department. In order to achieve our goals and support student initiatives, it is indispensable to
delegate the goals in the SDSS to the appropriate units within the AMS and begin to legitimize our
sustainability goals and turn them into action items and genuine priorities.
Annual Timeline
This is the annual cycle for setting priorities, implementing projects and monitoring progress. The
timing was designed to fit with both the academic year and Council turnover. SEEDS projects are
primarily research-based, while other projects are more about direct implementation. Although there
are fixed dates for reports to Council, project implementation will be continuous throughout any given
year and may even extend into subsequent years.
This timeline is meant to guide the AVP Sustainability and the VP Administration as they plan for the
year.
AVP Sustainability and VP Finance set annual priorities and action plans
-May-
AVP Sustainability and VP Admin meets with UBC SEEDS
to submit projects for the coming academic year
-May/June-
Projects underway for a set duration (varies between
project scope)
-June to March-
AVP Sustainability conducts anuual assessment of targets and produces annual report
-March/April-
Hiring of new AVP Sustainability and ensure
continuity of role
-April/May-
Setting Annual Priorities
The VP Administration will meet with the AVP Sustainability at the beginning of summer to
finalize the proposed projects for the upcoming school year. This is to prioritize the targets based on the
knowledge set and interests of each year’s staff, and to align those with projects that will help further
develop the Strategy. The AVP Sustainability and VP Administration should meet with every incoming
AMs Executive and key staff members to determine their priorities for the year and delegate
sustainability action items to their portfolios.
Action Plans
The VP Administration and AVP Sustainability will set up action plans for those targets that have
been set as annual priorities. These action plans should only encompass the time during which the
current AVP Sustainability is active – longer action plans can be made, but these will have to account for
annual turnover and feasibility. For those action plans involving the need for student projects and
research, the VP Administration and AVP Sustainability will meet with the UBC SEEDS coordinator shortly
after developing the plans in order to submit any project requests for the upcoming academic year.
These action plans may involve more than one AMS department; it is important to ensure that all
stakeholders are included and continuously active in carrying out the plans.
Projects
Projects are more specific than actions. One project might help us reach multiple goals and one
action may be separated into numerous projects. Some ongoing projects include working with students
in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems to develop vegan recipes for AMS businesses, developing a best-
practices handbook for the Renovations Planning Group, and conducting an annual waste audit. We also
have recurring projects like the Sustainability Fair, Storytelling Night and Capstone Projects. The list of
ongoing and potential projects is documented. The Sustainability Projects Coordinator is responsible for
both overseeing these projects and keeping the list up to date. Projects can be identified at any point
during the year, but are generally initiated at the beginning of the AVP Sustainability’s term.
Annual Reporting
The annual report is intended to provide continuity and accountability. The basic steps are:
1. Review each target and action for completion and progress made, and note any actions that were
not anticipated.
2. Compile relevant data and produce project summaries or reports
3. Review the targets themselves for relevancy and feasibility in the upcoming year. New targets
and actions should only be added with careful consideration to the resources available and the
policy’s direction to keep targets to a manageable number (considering that every target needs
to be reported on every year). Forward revised or new targets for approval by the Executive and
Council.
4. Produce a brief summary of the year’s activities including significant successes, failures and
changes in direction.
5. Review the current list of projects and update as necessary (delete projects that have been
completed and add new potential projects that have been identified). This may be a good time to
make firm decisions on what projects the AMS should proceed with, but project decisions can be
made at any time.
6. Update the AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy webpage with the annual report and any
relevant documents. Verify that all links are still current.
7. Ongoing consultation and collaboration with student groups to ensure we hear their voices and
prioritize them in establishing our annual goals. We should also facilitate their ability to hold us
accountable for our commitments.
Every three (3) years, the AMS must undertake a major revision and review of the AMS Student Driven
Sustainability Strategy in order to keep it up to date, and modify targets accordingly.
Roles and Responsibilities
The AVP Sustainability is responsible for:
● Hire, train and manage the Sustainability Projects Coordinator, the Sustainability Fund Administrator, and the Sustainability Outreach Coordinator, which includes ensuring all duties outlined in the job descriptions of each position are being completed properly and in a timely manner, and that the employees are confident and feel supported in their roles
● Coordinate with the Vice-President Administration to create action plans for all annual projects and goals
● Implement the annual projects and goals set out by the VP Administration and in the AMS SDSS ● Attend AMS and UBC committee meetings related to sustainability ● Coordinate with the VP Administration and senior managers to implement sustainability
initiatives in AMS operations as outlined in the AMS SDSS ● Liaise with the UBC Sustainability Office, other campus organizations and UBC departments ● Work with UBC SEEDS Manager and AMS Sustainability Projects Coordinator to ensure the SEEDS
MOU is upheld and all requirements are met ● Working together with student groups like the UBC Sustainability Collective, Sustainability
Ambassadors, Sprouts, Common Energy to support their goals and initiatives and ensure their voices are heard and prioritized.
● Present the following to AMS Council: o Annual sustainability priorities for actions and projects no later than the last Council
meeting in June
o An update on the fulfillment of the sustainability priorities and the SPF funded projects from the year no later than the last Council meeting in October
o An annual sustainability report no later than the last Council meeting in March ● Collaborating with other campus bodies like Campus and Community Planning and USI to achieve
our common goals
The Sustainability Projects Coordinator is responsible for:
● Maintain and facilitate the success of all student sustainability projects in which the AMS is a client
● Design sustainability focused projects and pitch them to student groups (e.g. engineering capstone teams, directed studies)
● Work with UBC SEEDS Coordinator and other project members to implement SEEDS projects and ensure our MOU is upheld
● Assist with student research projects when required (working with SEEDS, interested staff, faculty and graduate students)
● Ensure that a database of projects is kept up-to-date, and help with the production of an annual
report on the status of the AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy, including the annual audit
The Sustainability Outreach Coordinator is responsible for:
● Attend meetings of all UBC affiliated student sustainability groups and clubs ● Encourage and facilitate coordination between these groups of students ● Promote AMS Sustainability at various campus sustainability related events by boothing or other
means of attendance and engagement (For example, the Sustainability Fair, Farmade, etc,) ● Organize engagement and outreach activities (such as workshops or documentary screenings) to
encourage and promote sustainability within the membership ● Engage with AMS clubs to help encourage sustainable club operations and events and attend the
monthly Sustainability Student Council ● Reach out to event organizers (AMS Events, UBC, The Calendar, Party Well, etc), to ensure that
their sustainability/zero waste needs and questions are met. ● Promote sustainability through newsletters and other social media ● Collaborate with USI and the Sustainability Ambassadors for joint events (Sustainability Fair,
Sustainability Storytelling, etc). ● Advocate for issues regarding sustainability with groups like the UBC Sustainability Collective. ● Assist the AVP Sustainability with their partnership with the UBC Sustainability Collective ● Build partnerships and work with student groups, clubs and resource groups
The Sustainability Funds Administrator is responsible for:
● Work with AMS Communications to ensure the AMS Sustainability website is updated with SPF submission deadlines and committee meeting dates for the year and content from student projects on a regular basis
● Coordinate and chair monthly SPF committee meetings
● Oversee and follow up with SPF projects that received funding ● Manage all funds related to the SPF, which includes reimbursing projects, maintaining the
annual budget, working closely with Vice President Finance, and keeping accurate records of all necessary fund documentation
● Organize a Sustainability Fund Projects Showcase at the end of the winter term
The AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy primarily falls under the portfolio of the VP Administration. Every member of the AMS Executive Committee, however, has specific responsibilities. Successful implementation of the strategy will necessarily involve building partnerships with the University, lobbying external organizations, and modifying the operations of our businesses.
For Future Renewal of SDSS
The 2017-2018 AMS Sustainability team recommend that the next team focus on an effective
implementation plan for the SDSS. Additionally, we recommend reviewing the Appendix section of the
SDSS and ensuring the data and information is accurate and up to date. This year we have worked on
creating an interim, living document to serve as an implementation plan. However, we would
recommend to improve upon this living document and strategically create measurable goals and
outcomes for our 9 areas of concern. This should be done through collaborative work with key
stakeholders and should allow for a transparent review of our successes and potential improvements.
For the next review of the SDSS in 2021-2022, we recommend that the AMS Sustainability team put forth
a public implementation plan that would complement the SDSS. We recommend determining a baseline
and creating measures of success for each of our 9 areas of concern that are feasible. This document
should be complementary to the SDSS and should be public facing.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Joaquin Acevedo for continuous support and knowledge throughout the revision of
the previous Lighter Footprint Strategy, and to Mateusz Miadlikowski for supporting and guiding the
revision process. We would like to thank Ryan Bissell, Abby Blinch, Bahareh Jokar, Anne Kessler, Uli
Laue, Justin Morton and Nancy Toogood for providing guidance and input on the revision, as well as their
enthusiasm for the implementation to come; as well as Collyn Chan and Chiyi Tam for helping with
compiling necessary information for this revision. We would also like to acknowledge the input and
feedback from Liska Richer, UBC SEEDS Coordinator, as well as the LFS 450 team that studied our
Strategy for areas of improvement.
Appendix A – Annual Audit Form
Food and Beverage A1 Increase the purchase of local food ingredients as a
percentage of total food purchases. Current (%)
Target (%)
A2 Continue to increase proportion of items procured from local farms (within a set distance from campus) when and where applicable.
Current (%) Target (%)
A3 Increase vegetarian, vegan and raw food menu options. Current meat/dairy (%)
Target meat/dairy (%)
Current vegetarian/vegan
(%)
Target vegetarian/vegan
(%)
A4 Increase the purchase of ingredients that are certified organic, fair trade, GMO-free
Current certified organic (%)
Target certified organic (%)
Current Fair Trade (%)
Target Fair Trade (%)
Current GMO-free (%)
Target GMO-free (%)
A5 Develop an agreed reduction in average per-serving ecological footprint of menu items.
List of food outlets
Completed?
A6 Continuous monitoring of the success of the rooftop garden in the Nest. Develop a tracking system to measure how much food is produced within the rooftop garden.
Current production (kg)
Target production (kg)
% used in AMS food outlets
Feasibility of program expansion
A7 Continuous monitoring of the success of Eco-To-Go throughout Nest.
Current Eco-to-Go usage (%)
Target Eco-to-Go usage (%)
Develop a tracking system to measure how frequent students use Eco-To-Go versus traditional takeout methods.
Feasibility of expanding program
A8 Providing continued incentives for customers to bring their own mugs and reusable containers in order to increase the amount of bring-your-own-containers (BYOC) transactions by 15% of current proportion.
Current BYOC transactions (%)
Target BYOC transactions (%)
Building Operations B1 Monitor waste materials by using data collected from the
electronic waste scale in an annual summary. Annual waste summaries will be detailed and appended to this document.
Current waste streams
Annual waste summary (kg)
B2 Continuous monitoring and maintenance of the AMS composting/vermicomposting program. Program shall undergo annual assessment for addition of improvements or new techniques.
Current pre-consumer (%)
Target pre-consumer (%)
Current post-consumer (%)
Target post-consumer (%)
B3 Ensure that items of all waste streams are captured, including electronic disposables and toxic/chemical waste. Create a section in the AMS policy and procedure manual for disposing of electronic waste that is in compliance with established best-practices, with examples such as:
● Use life-cycle accounting when purchasing new
electronics/appliances/furniture in all AMS
operations
● Ensure that all cleaning supplies used by AMS are
non-toxic and biodegradable
Current waste streams
Waste streams left to cover
B4 Conduct an internal annual energy audit. Annual energy audits will be detailed and appended to this document.
Current energy sources
Annual energy use summary
Administrative Operations C1 Reducing paper usage by an attainable fraction of current
usage. Current paper order (kg/year)
Target paper order (kg/year)
C2 Reducing the footprint of paper products by switching to a currently feasible alternative
Current paper products
Feasible options for next year
C3 Reducing printing ink usage by an attainable fraction of current usage.
Current ink order (units/year)
Target ink order (units/year)
Appendix B - Ecological Footprint Analysis
Ecological Footprint Analysis—November 5, 2007 by Eric
Doherty
As specified in the AMS Environmental Sustainability Policy, the AMS AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy uses the concept of ecological footprint (EF) to guide the AMS’s work to areas where we can
have the greatest impact, directly through AMS operations and through interaction with other organizations.
1) What is Ecological Footprint?
Ecological footprint analysis is a technique developed by UBC's Dr. William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel. When they published Our Ecological Footprint in 1996 it was a new and obscure concept even at UBC. EF analysis is now used around the world and the term ecological footprint is one of the most common ways of describing environmental impact. The development of ecological footprint analysis is one of the most significant contributions UBC has made to ecological sustainability.
Ecological footprint is a measure of how much productive land and marine area a group of people requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it produces. The amount of resources used and wastes produced per person are largely determined by the decisions large organizations such the AMS, UBC and governments make. But individual behaviour also has a large impact.
According to the Global Footprint Network, humanity's EF is now over 23% higher than sustainable levels.
In other words, it now takes more than one year and two months for the Earth to regenerate what we use in a single year. We maintain this overshoot by liquidating the planet's ecological resources.2
The scientists who worked on the United Nations Global Environment Outlook (GEO-4) suggest that overshoot is even worse than this, calculating a global EF almost 40% greater than what is sustainable.3
2 Source: Global Footprint Network http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=footprint_overview 3 The fourth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-4) was released in October 2007. Note that the UN calculates EF differently from the Global
Footprint Network, resulting in higher per capita footprints and productive land area – 21.9 and 15.7 hectares respectively (21.9/15.7 = 139%). http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/media/index.asp
Canadians, at 7.6 hectares per person, have much larger footprints than the global average of 2.2 hectares per person. It would take over four additional earth-like planets to support the world's population if everyone's EF was a big as the average resident of Canada. The average Canadian greenhouse gas footprint alone is over four hectares, more than twice the 1.7 hectare per capita sustainable footprint on a global scale4.
"The Ecological Footprint provides a systematic resource accounting tool that can help us plan for a world in which we all live well, within the means of our one planet."5
The danger of consuming more than the earth can sustainably support is that carrying capacity is gradually eroded which will lead to an eventual ecological and economic collapse if EF is not reduced to below carrying capacity, as illustrated the overshoot and collapse scenario in Figure 3.0.2 below. Overshoot does not necessarily cause an immediate crisis. The overshoot and recovery scenario illustrates how the earth’s carrying capacity, which has already been reduced, could stabilize if humanity’s ecological footprint was quickly reduced to sustainable levels.
Thus the purpose of estimating Ecological Footprints is to enable people to take the most effective personal and collective actions to reduce our impacts to within the means of our planet.
Figure 1. Good Planets are Hard to Find
4 Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity (2006 Edition) – Global Footprint Network (GFN)
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=national_footprints . Note that the GFN calculates footprint differently from the UN and caution must be used when comparing footprint data from different organizations. 5 Global Footprint Network http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=footprint_overview
Figure 2. Collapse or Recovery? Ecological footprint will return to within Earth's carrying capacity, either through societal collapse or deliberate choice
Source for 1961-2007 Ecological Footprint - Global Footprint Network. October 6th is ecological debt day. http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=overshoot Accessed Nov. 29 2007. Post-2007 trends are shown to illustrate the concept and are not intended as quantitative projections.
2) Greenhouse gas footprint
More than half of humanity's EF is due to greenhouse gas emissions, which have grown much faster than other Footprint components6. Both direct and indirect emissions contribute to GHG footprint (also known as carbon footprint7 since the vast majority of GHG emissions are carbon dioxide, CO2). An example of direct emissions is the carbon dioxide emitted by the petroleum gas burned in the UBC steam plant; an example of indirect emissions are the GHG emissions from the manufacturing and transportation of the reinforcing steel used to build the new Thunderbird Parkade. The steel was likely manufactured and shipped from China or Eastern Canada.
Figure 3. Over Half of Canada’s Ecological Footprint is Greenhouse Gas Footprint
Source: Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity (2006 Edition)—Global Footprint Network. http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=national_footprints
6 http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=app_carbon_footprint 7 http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=app_carbon_footprint
GHG footprint illustrates an important point about EF analysis; it is necessary to reduce every component of EF to sustainable levels, not only the total EF. If GHG pollution is not greatly reduced climate change will greatly decrease the productive capacity of the Earth. This will in turn shrink the sustainable footprint even further. For example, global warming caused by GHG pollution is a great threat to salmon that depend upon cold river water for survival and reproduction. On a global scale, drought-inducing effects of climate change have already reduced agricultural production greatly in the Sahel region of Africa8.
3. Decision Making Using Ecological Footprint Analysis
Ecological Footprint analysis involves measuring the resources used or wastes emitted and then translating each type into land and marine (aquatic) areas. For example, fossil fuel footprints are calculated by estimating the area needed to sequester (absorb) the greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted when the fuel is burned. Figure 4.0.1 below shows the EF proportions by consumption category calculated for the average Canadian; note that education is included in ‘Services’.
Measuring consumption and emissions, and then determining the best conversion factor into land area to arrive at a precise value can be a very difficult task. Many of these difficulties, such as having to determine if beer is shipped by truck or rail and the fact that different sources give significantly different figures for the same material, are discussed in Ecofootprinting the Pendulum Restaurant.9 However, the
most significant difficulty is the uncertainty inherent in determining the ability of the earth to sequester the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. For example, one recent study used two alternate values—7.2 tCO2/ha/yr and 5.3 tCO2/ha/yr—which resulted in a variation in the greenhouse gas footprint of about one third10. In addition, recent research suggests that global GHG assimilation rates are slowing due to global warming, with some areas that were once GHG sinks even becoming net sources.11
However, for many decision-making purposes, high levels of precision are not necessary.
Figure 4 Average Canadian’s Ecological Footprint by Consumption Category
Source: Mathis Wackernagel & William Rees. (1996) Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. P 82-83.
8 NOAA GFDL CLIMATE MODELING RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Jan. 2007
http://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/research/climate/highlights/PDF/GFDLhighlight_Vol1N2.pdf 9 http://www.sustain.ubc.ca/seedslibrary/files/Ecofootprinting%20the%20Pendulum%20Restaurant.pdf 10 Pacholsky, Jens. (2006) The Ecological Footprint of Berlin (Germany) for the Year 2000, Stirling 11 University, Scotland http://www.gdrc.org/uem/footprints/berlin-eco_footprint.doc CHRIS D. JONES, PETER M. COX, CHRIS HUNTINGFORD (2006) Climate-carbon cycle feedbacks under stabilization: uncertainty and observational constraints Tellus B 58 (5), 603–613.
For the purposes of the AMS AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy Student Driven Sustainability Strategyonly rough estimates are needed to identify the most important areas for improvement; more
precise measures can be developed over time while we reduce our ecological footprint (EF). The key question to ask is would more research be likely to significantly change our decision? If the answer is no,
then we have a precise enough estimate of ecological footprint for the decision at hand. Even if the answer is yes, lack of precision should not be used as an excuse to delay action. Often, only a subjective description of ecological footprint will be enough to make a decision; for example when deciding between a project that has the potential to reduce EF by a very large amount and one that has the potential to reduce EF by only a small amount. If other factors are equal, our limited resources should be devoted to actions that will lead to greater reductions in EF.
The EF of food and materials is primarily 'upstream', from production, processing and transportation while disposal impacts are significant but usually make up a small percentage of overall impacts. For example, the EF reduction from using a re-usable mug instead of using a paper cup is much greater than the EF reduction of composting a disposable cup rather than throwing it in the garbage. Similarly, there is a greater EF reduction by reducing the amount of paper used by 100 Kg than for diverting 100 kg of paper from the garbage to recycling12. This does not mean that we can neglect EF reduction of recycling and composting, only that we cannot be effective if we neglect the biggest impacts. For example, an EF audit of the University of Newcastle, Australia, noted that:
The footprint identifies that current actions such as the reduction of waste going to landfill are of limited value in terms of actions for sustainability. Ecological Footprint Analysis identifies the need to refocus action to areas having the greatest impact.13
The ranked list below shows the most important impacts at the University of Newcastle, with the largest impact at the top. Note that the footprint of private transport (automobiles) is estimated to be over 600 times greater than the footprint of waste disposal, and dairy consumption has over ten times the footprint of bus travel:
Ranked List of University of Newcastle’s Ecological Footprint Categories (hectares)
1 Building Operation 1138.2 2 Private Transport 636.6 3 Air transport of O’S Students 516 4 Building Embodied Energy 432.6 5 University Vehicles 353.1 6 Dairy Consumption 124.1 7 Cleaning 113.3 8 Office Paper Use 108.7 9 Meat Consumption 90.3 10 Alcohol Consumption 34 11 Water Consumption 17.6 12 Rail Travel 15.2 13 Bus Travel 11.5 14 Waste Disposal 0.91 (p 87)
This list is based on rough estimates, and there are some important differences between the University of Newcastle and UBC. For example, most electricity in Australia is generated in coal fired plants leading to
12 Recycling paper at UBC likely reduces EF more than composting paper does since 100% post-consumer recycled paper has a much lower
EF than virgin paper. E.g. http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/CD/main/pdf/planning/Footprint_Final_Report.pdf 13 Flint, K. 1999. Institutional ecological footprint analysis - A case study of the University of Newcastle, Australia. Department of
Geography and Environmental Science, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~gevans/CHEE3930-6930/Case%20Study%202/KFlint's%20ecof'print%20-U-N-2000.pdf p i.
a much larger footprint per unit of electricity and therefore also for building operations. However, it gives a rough idea of what the larger footprint categories might be at UBC and where we should focus our attention.
Ecological footprinting is a very useful concept for making decisions; however, it is difficult to achieve precision with available data. There are also important factors that are almost impossible to translate into EF, such as emissions of cancer causing chemicals and environmental justice considerations14. Thus Ecological Footprint is not the only important factor in decreasing the environmental impact of the AMS but it is a very important one.
Appendix C - AMS Environmental Impact Audit
AMS Environmental Impact Audit—November 5, 2007 By Eric
Doherty
1. Context
The AMS represents the more than 42,000 UBC students and operates student services, businesses, resource groups and clubs. The AMS also leases space to businesses in the SUB.
In addition to offering services to students, the AMS is an advocate for student issues to the University Administration, the Provincial and Federal governments, and organizations such as TransLink.
The overarching goal of the AMS AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy is to reduce the university
campus’s Ecological Footprint (EF) to sustainable levels and to foster environmental justice in our own operations and through our relationships with the University community and the broader community. Ecological footprint, and how it is used as a decision making tool, is explained in detail in a separate document.
Ecological footprint analysis will guide the AMS’ work to areas where we can have the greatest effect, directly through AMS operations and through interaction with other organizations. The judgment of how broadly or narrowly to define the AMS' sphere of influence is subjective; but asking the question 'is this where and how the AMS can most effectively reduce EF?' should give a good indication of where the
AMS should devote its limited money and time. AMS members have expressed a strong interest in initiatives that allow them to reduce their EF such as the U-Pass program, which suggests that the AMS
should at least consider such initiatives as part of the AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy.
The Impacts Committee is responsible for overseeing the AMS AMS Student Driven Sustainability Strategy and presenting an annual progress report to Council by October 30 of each year.
The ecological footprint (EF) of food and materials is primarily 'upstream', from production, processing and transportation; disposal impacts are significant but make up a small percentage of overall impacts. For example, the ecological footprint reduction from using a re-usable mug and not using a paper cup is
14 The Global Footprint Network report Measuring Marin County’s Ecological Footprint notes that “human health [is] not within the
research domain addressed by the Footprint” (p. 10) http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/CD/main/pdf/planning/Footprint_Final_Report.pdf
much greater than the EF reduction of composting a disposable cup rather than throwing it in the garbage. Similarly, there is a much greater EF reduction by reducing the amount of paper used by 100 Kg than for diverting 100 kg of paper from the garbage to recycling. This does not mean that we can neglect EF reduction of recycling and composting, only that we cannot be effective if we neglect the biggest impacts.
For the purpose of this audit, the impacts that the AMS has influence over are divided into two broad categories internal and interactive:
Internal impacts are those that the AMS can act on without the cooperation of external
parties, such as changing AMS purchasing policies.
Interactive impacts are those that require interaction with groups such as the UBC administration, TransLink, the City of Vancouver, or student organizations at other universities and colleges. Interaction with other bodies should strive to build cooperative relationships, but does not exclude active lobbying and campaigning when this is judged to be the most effective strategy.
2. Internal Impacts
2a. Food
Food and drink sold in AMS outlets is by far the largest impact that the AMS can act on independently. The AMS runs several very busy food outlets that sell many tonnes of food per year. The ecological footprint of feed is very difficult to estimate precisely, but the key factors that determine the ecological impact of food, such as the distance it is transported and the proportion of animal products, are well established. An ecological footprint analysis of the Pendulum Restaurant has already been done.
Estimated EF - High
2b. Materials
The AMS uses a significant amount of materials, such as paper, in the AMS offices. AMS businesses use a much larger quantity of materials such as paper (Copy Right) disposable cups, plates, napkins and cutlery (AMS Food Services). For example, AMS food outlets use about 150,000 paper cups every year.
Estimated EF: Office - Moderate / low
Businesses - High
3. Interactive impacts
3a. Building Energy
The Student Union Building (SUB) is operated cooperatively by the AMS and UBC Building Services. The AMS does not directly pay for the energy used, and until recently did not even have data on energy usage. The amount of energy used is quite high as the SUB is a 1960s building which has only had modest energy efficiency upgrades. For example, 2006 electricity consumption in the SUB was 4 million Kwh - enough to power 400 average homes15. The SUB's heating and hot water is from the UBC steam plant which is fired by petroleum gas; a steam meter was installed recently and we do not yet have a full year of consumption data. A smaller quantity of petroleum gas is also used directly in the SUB, but data is not yet available.
15 The average household in BC Hydro’s service area uses about 10,000 kWh per year. http://www.bchydro.com/rx_files/info/info3519.pdf
Estimated EF—Very High
3b. Building Materials
The SUB was built in the 1960s so the impact of initial construction is spread out over decades, but materials are used for maintenance and renovations every year. Major renovations or a replacement of the building may take place fairly soon. A building replacement would require many tonnes of materials such as concrete and steel which result in large quantities of greenhouse gas pollution.
Estimated EF: Normal Year - High
Years of major renovation / replacement - Extremely High
3c. Transportation
Transportation accounts for half of Canada's greenhouse gas footprint16, and therefore one of the largest contributors to Canada's EF. The AMS influences transportation footprint through the U-Pass program, and through other sustainable transportation initiatives such as the Bike Kitchen. The UBC TREK office estimates that U-Pass has reduced tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions by 16,000 tonnes per year.”17 The AMS represents the largest organized group of transit riders in Metro Vancouver and therefore has significant potential lobbying power on transit issues.
The AMS also pays directly for a small amount of travel, such as executive members flying or traveling by train to conferences18. The total amount of travel on UBC related business is much higher. The AMS could both reduce its own long distance travel EF, and lobby the administration to do the same.
Estimated EF - Very High
3d. Campus Development
The AMS has some influence over campus development for all of UBC, which has a much larger impact than AMS operations and the SUB. Campus development has an impact on building energy, building materials, transportation, and food as it relates to the UBC Farm and agriculture on campus.
Estimated EF - Very High
3e. Curriculum / Learning Spaces
The AMS has some influence over what is taught at UBC, and the lessons the campus itself teaches. Since teaching and research is the primary role of the university, it is likely the area where the university has the biggest influence over EF.19
16 The greenhouse gas footprint is more than just tailpipe emissions from cars, planes and other vehicles. It also includes the emissions from
refining transportation fuels, and the emissions from the materials used to build vehicles and transportation infrastructure such as roads and parking structures. Source: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transportation Options Hydro Quebec 2006. www.hydroquebec.com/sustainable-development/documentation/pdf/transport_en_2006.pdf 17 Nathan Cato - Social Sustainability of Alternate Transportation Modes at The University of British Columbia http://www.trek.ubc.ca/research/pdf/social%20sustainability%20of%20alternative%20transportation.pdf 18 For simplicity, the travel that the AMS controls directly is grouped with the interactive aspects of travel since it is a very small percentage
of the total. 19 For example see What Is Education For? Six myths about the foundations of modern education,
Although the AMS could take some actions to make the SUB an ecological learning space, this would be much more effective if it was a cooperative endeavor focused on making, for example, energy efficiency improvements in the SUB visible to our members.
Estimated EF - Very High
There are many other categories of environmental impact that the AMS should consider, such as water consumption and the use of toxic chemicals in the SUB, but the categories above represent the largest categories of ecological footprint that the AMS has significant influence over.
and six new principles to replace them by David Orr http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC27/Orr.htm
