UNB releases fourth Green Review highlighting campus sustainability
Author: UNB Newsroom
Posted on Mar 13, 2019
Category: UNB Fredericton , UNB Saint John
The University of New Brunswick has published the fourth edition of its Green Review, the only university publication of its kind in Atlantic Canada, showcasing UNB’s efforts to make its campuses even more environmentally friendly.
The report, published by UNB Sustainability, highlights sustainable initiatives and green champions on both the Fredericton and Saint John campuses, as well as makes suggestions on how to live more sustainably.
Among the highlighted initiatives in this year’s publication is the completion of UNB Fredericton’s new Kinesiology Building which was built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards. These certification standards, developed by the Canadian Green Building Council, make up the most widely used green building rating system in the world.
“The new building is not only a beautiful place to work and learn, but the standards to which it was built put the institution’s commitment to sustainability on display,” said Danielle Smith, UNB Sustainability coordinator.
This is the second LEED-standard building UNB has constructed in recent years, along with the Hans W. Klohn Commons on the Saint John campus.
UNB Saint John is also well represented in this year’s Green Review with multiple initiatives being showcased from across campus. Among these are a number of energy efficiency projects that will help the campus lower their energy consumption and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Additional highlights include student projects and ground-breaking research being undertaken at the institution.
“There is great work being done at all levels of the institution to continue to improve our behaviours,” Mrs. Smith said. “It is very important to make sure that we do not simply focus on the larger capital projects but also give smaller initiatives the attention that they deserve. These are the things that we can all read about and incorporate into our daily lives, or come up with a similar idea to improve our communities. Whether it is buying more local products or using active transportation to get to campus, it all makes a difference.”
UNB Sustainability is also nearing the completion of the province’s first university climate change action plan. The plan is scheduled be launched later this year and will outline actions on both UNB campuses. In addition, work has begun on the development of an Institutional Sustainability Plan which will further establish future planning on campus.
The fourth edition of the Green Review is available from UNB Sustainability at unb.ca/green.
Media contact: Kelsey Pye