Silver STAR for sustainability
Concordia’s leadership in campus sustainability received external confirmation last week with the announcement that the university had received a STARS Silver Rating.
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a relatively new but rigorous tool that measures more than 100 parameters. It looks at such obvious metrics as greenhouse gas emissions, recycling, car-pooling and water use.
However, it also delves into employee equity and diversity, childcare facilities, socially responsible investments and community engagement. And, because STARS assesses universities and colleges — under the aegis of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) — it’s especially rigorous with courses, programs and research, aimed at furthering sustainability.
Ashley Finlayson, who led the assessment as Concordia’s sustainability coordinator, wasn’t sure whether the university would rate Bronze or Silver, so she’s excited with the outcome. So is Chantal Forgues, who is now interim sustainability coordinator.
For Finlayson, simply going through the assessment brought home Concordia’s strengths compared with other Quebec universities. These include leadership in energy use and waste diversion, as well as strong student engagement.
However, the exercise also drew attention to areas for improvement: “Concordia’s sustainability courses and programs could be stronger,” she says.
While relatively new, STARS is gaining adherents. It has attracted more than 300 participating colleges and universities across the United States and Canada, and has already rated more than 200 of them.
Concordia was among the earliest participants, one of just four Canadian institutions to join the pilot STARS project in 2009, along with McGill, UBC and Acadia. Concordia has been doing self-assessments every three years since 2003, but used a different framework prior to 2009.
While Concordia could self-assess annually, it chooses to maintain its three-year cycle. This makes it easier, says Mariam Masud, another former sustainability coordinator, to “plan, put programs into action and then see what happens. It’s important to understand where we are and where we need to improve.”
Masud and Finlayson describe a process that is both exhaustive and complex. Indeed, Finlayson estimates the exercise consumed more than 1,400 hours, cutting across departments, disciplines and sectors, and in the process, sparking countless campus conversations.
The academic and practical literature is unanimous in describing sustainability as a journey without end. This is why, for Masud, the STARS rating is just a milestone. More important, “It’s an opportunity to have a conversation about sustainability. It’s really a jumping-off point for further action,” she says.
Finlayson agrees, and says the only way for Concordia to achieve an even higher sustainability rating is by “being aggressive” in its programs and commitment. Of course, Concordia could set its sights even higher: For the record, no institution in the United States or Canada has managed to snag a Platinum Rating … yet.
Related link:
• Concordia’s sustainability assessment at the ASSHE site