UNB is a leader in sustainable education and research. Faculty and educators are active and knowledgeable in sustainability, guiding students in sustainable learning and research. UNB fosters an academic community that demonstrates and advances sustainability.
Existing successes
- Offering undergraduate and graduate environmental courses that teach students to manage environmental and natural resources sustainably.
- Students utilizing UNB as a living laboratory, to learn about sustainability first hand through the use of the campus.
- 66% of departments at UNB Fredericton offer sustainability courses to students.
- 100% of departments at UNB Saint John currently conduct research that is engaged in sustainability.
- SOCS4501 - A structured Campus as a Learning Lab course at UNB Saint John.
UNB Fredericton 2017 STARS SCORE: 55%
UNB Fredericton 2020 STARS SCORE: 77%
UNB Saint John 2020 STARS SCORE: 66%
UNB Fredericton goals and strategies
Increase opportunities for students to use UNB as a Learning Laboratory (CaLL)
- Identify programs, courses, and operations that could offer Campus as a Living Laboratory opportunities.
- Develop an online inventory of CaLL projects that have been completed and are currently available to students.
Increase support for research on sustainability
- Determine the feasibility of incentivizing and supporting sustainable research by students and faculty.
- Highlight and promote those conducting sustainability research on UNB FR campus.
Improve availability of sustainability focused courses
- Identify sustainability learning outcomes, and work with units to incorporate the outcomes into curriculum.
- Maintain a sustainability course list, outlining courses available in all faculties.
- Produce an educational package for faculty on the relevance, importance, and methods of incorporating sustainability into their courses.
Assess sustainability knowledge of the campus community
- Develop and conduct a student sustainability literacy assessment.
UNB Saint John goals and strategies
Increase the availability of academic courses that include sustainability
- Create a sustainability course list inventory.
- Explore the feasibility of developing a ‘minor’ in sustainability or interdisciplinary courses to gain a ‘sustainability certificate’ option at UNB Saint John.
Increase opportunities for students to use UNB as a Learning Laboratory (CaLL)
Assess and improve students' knowledge of sustainability
- Formalize the distribution of the Sustainability Literacy Assessment to the UNB Saint John community.
- Develop a Sustainability 101 Module to educate the campus community on basic sustainability concepts.
Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals
Goal #4: Quality Education | Target: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
UNB fosters a community engaged in sustainability programs and activities, and together make a sustainability minded community.
Existing successes
- Residence Energy Challenge: an annual event that encourages students living on campus to reduce their energy consumption.
- Sustainability Month: occurring annually in October, this event provides the campus community with sustainability activities, information, and inspiration.
- UNB Green Team: a platform for students designed to increase communication and exposure to sustainability related initatives and to promote more sustainable lifestyle and behaviour choices.
- Green Event Certification program: UNB provides campus groups with guidance and recognition for making their events sustainable.
- Co-curricular program: UNB provides students with the opportunity to extend their formal learning experience and be recognized for their community involvement.
- Green Living Guide: A guide offered to all students in residences for tips on sustainable living.
UNB Fredericton 2017 STARS SCORE: 42%
UNB Fredericton 2020 STARS SCORE: 56%
UNB Saint John 2020 STARS SCORE: 36%
UNB Fredericton goals and strategies
Encourage sustainable behaviours
- Create a Staff Sustainability Network.
- Continue to work with students and groups to promote sustainable actions through programming.
- Incorporate sustainability information into employee orientation packages.
Increase sustainable engagement opportunities for students
- Expand the Green Representatives Program.
- Create a university-based program to allow the UNB FR campus community to reuse and distribute unwanted items.
- Maintain the Student Sustainability Fund (SSF) to finance student sustainability projects.
Pursue sustainability collaborations
- Engage in sustainability mentorship opportunities with other institutions.
- Partner with College of Extended Learning to create courses focused on, and incorporating, sustainability themes.
- Promote community service through the co-curricular program and improve methods of tracking service.
UNB Saint John goals and strategies
Sustainability Training & Professional Development | Determine the feasibility of hosting a sustainability-themed workshops, modules, or an education package annually to staff.
Increase sustainable engagement opportunities for students | Implement a formalized Green Ambassadors program that trains students to serve in peer-to-peer sustainability outreach.
Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals
Goal #4: Quality Education | Target: Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development
UNB operates a sustainable campus, with innovative processes that result in leading sustainable facilities.
Existing successes
- Campus gardens: UNB hosts a variety of gardens on campus including wildlife friendly gardens, an Indigenous medicine wheel garden and a community food garden on both UNB campuses.
- LED retrofits through many of UNB's buildings.
- Trayless dining was introduced in McConnell Hall and Baird Dining Hall.
- Sustainable meals are offered on campus including vegan and vegetarian options.
- Universal Bus Pass for Graduate students at UNB Fredericton.
- A naturalized stormwater detention basin was constructed, at UNB Saint John, to provide the storage needed to reduce peak flow for a discharge point.
- Recycling opportunities on both campuses for paper, refundables, metal, and e-waste.
UNB Fredericton 2017 STARS SCORE: 35%
UNB Fredericton 2020 STARS SCORE: 43%
UNB Saint John 2020 STARS SCORE: 20%
UNB Fredericton goals and strategies
Create a more sustainable food system
- Pursue a program that will allow UNB FR to commit 20% of its food dollars to be spent on food that is local or third party certified.
- Increase opportunities, awareness, and education around sustainable food events.
- Continue to support opportunities on UNB FR campus for growing and purchasing local food.
Prioritize sustainable purchasing
- Engage with Financial Services to integrate sustainability into the Procurement Policy.
- Create a reference list and guide for sustainable purchasing.
Reduce water usage
- Formalize and increase water reduction efforts.
- Create initiatives and events to encourage water related behaviour change.
UNB Saint John goals and strategies
Create a more sustainable food system
- Work to increase the number of foods that are sustainable, ethically produced, and plant based in the next food service contract.
- Engage with the community around campus food and dining and ensure their voice is heard in contract negotiations.
- Continue to support opportunities to access, grow and purchase local food.
Reduce water usage
- Formalize and increase water reduction efforts.
- Create initiatives and events to encourage water related behaviour change.
Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals
Goal #2: Zero Hunger | Target: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Goal #6: Clean Water and Sanitation | Target: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | Target: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal #12: Responsible consumption and production | Target: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
UNB planning and administration is conducted sustainably. UNB considers sustainability in all levels of decision making. We are committed to supporting an inclusive healthy campus community and being responsible with investments and finances.
Existing successes
- UNB has a publicly posted non-discrimination statement.
- Student Accessibility Centre: which provides access to a variety of on-campus services and support to students with documented visible and invisible disabilities.
- The Statement on Sustainable Investing and Responsible Investment section in the Board of Governors Investments Committee’s Statement of Investment Objectives and Policy.
- The UNB Health Centre, where quality primary health care is provided on campus to students year round.
- Internal and external scholarships.
- Student Employment and Career Centre, which helps provide students with employment opportunities such as Student Work Study.
UNB Fredericton 2017 STARS SCORE: 29%
UNB Fredericton 2020 STARS SCORE: 68%
UNB Saint John 2020 STARS SCORE: 65%
Goals and strategies
Include sustainability in university planning
- Create an institutional sustainability policy.
- Incorporate sustainability into other university policies.
- Inclusion of sustainability in University decisions.
- Provide the Student Union representatives with sustainability training.
Incorporate sustainability and transparency into UNB investments
- Provide an annual report on UNB investments to the public.
- Develop a publicly available sustainable investment policy.
- Incorporate ESG principles in policy for hiring investment managers.
- Require all investment managers to report on their ESG investment practices.
Engage students and local community in institutional decision making
- Provide student representatives who sit on UNB’s highest governing body with sustainability training.
- Develop a policy to identify and engage external stakeholders in institutional decisions that affect the community.
Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals
Goal #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
Goal #16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | Target: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
