Posted on April 22: McMaster launches action plan to protect the environment

McMaster's Environmental Steering Committee has set in action an environmental plan that will examine ecological issues at McMaster, such as solid waste, air quality and energy use.

“The Environmental Steering Committee's work over the past year has largely focused on the establishment of an appropriate framework to assess current performance and measure future development in various environmental issues,” says Linda Axford, university planner and member of the committee.

In developing an Environmental Action Plan, the committee explored a Campus Sustainability Assessment Framework (CSAF) — a model that has been implemented at other university campuses to set specific targets for continuous improvement. “While the CSAF defines very specific indicators to measure sustainable development, such indicators require research and adjustment to suit McMaster's needs,” Axford says.

The Committee called upon subject matter experts both on- and off-campus for assistance in defining such key issues as solid waste, hazardous waste, indoor and outdoor air quality, energy use, transportation, water, and groundskeeping methods. The CSAF provided the committee with a foundation to measure environmental progress at McMaster.

The plan, currently in the final stages of development, will be publicly circulated to inform the community about McMaster's desired outcomes, specific targets, and action items for each of the above mentioned environmental issues. The plan will also detail McMaster's progress to date and identify concerns and required future actions.

Initiated from the Campus Master Plan, approved by the Board of Governors in March of 2002, the Environmental Steering Committee first convened in April of 2003. Charged with implementing, monitoring, and assessing the principles set out in the McMaster University Environmental Policy, the Committee is comprised of stakeholders campus-wide. John Eyles, director of the McMaster Institute of Environment and Health, chairs the committee.

“The Environmental Steering Committee is one group focused on supporting McMaster's commitment to sustainable development and responsible environmental practices,” Axford says.

The Committee's meetings are open to community members. For more information visit the Environmental Steering Committee's Web site at http://www.mcmaster.ca/envcomm/.