Purpose: Considering the different roles universities can perform to contribute to sustainable development, it is through teaching and outreach that they might be able to connect to the academic and local communities the most. The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which energy sustainability is being considered in campus…

We discuss an innovative action-learning course co-developed by the University of Northern British Columbia, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce (Canada) and local businesses. The Carbon and Energy Management course is an undergraduate/graduate course initiated by the Chamber to address an interest in climate change amongst local…

The Youth Strike for Climate raised important global attention to interconnected climate, energy and environmental issues -- it also compelled us to consider what we will do to address these pressing challenges. Developed through consideration of such dynamics, we propose critical energy literacy as an emerging theory that denotes understanding of…

The public's understanding of climate change has been plagued by poor communication, misinformation, and disinformation. Fortunately, there is a growing body of research on effective climate change communication strategies. A popular element of science communication is documentary film. Educational films produced for museums, planetariums, and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss an innovative course offered as a partnership between the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) (Canada), the Prince George Chamber of Commerce (Canada) and local businesses: UNBC's third-year undergraduate/graduate course, carbon and energy management. Design/methodology/approach: The…

A survey of alumni of two longstanding interdisciplinary secondary school environmental studies programs revealed that the vast majority of alumni reported being engaged in pro-environmental behaviours, which they attributed to participation in the programs five to twenty-three years prior. That finding in itself is worth sharing. Digging deeper,…

This article presents insights from an inquiry into renewable energy development by Indigenous communities across Canada. The focus is on Indigenous leadership in developing renewable energy projects that align with traditional ecological philosophies while also providing increased economic and energy security, sovereignty, and educational…

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the concept of sustainability imaginaries--unifying core assumptions on what sustainability entails held by stakeholders--set within a large suburban Canadian university. The study aims to expand the field of research into imaginaries by focusing on imaginaries within an institution as opposed to a societal or…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers to the implementation of energy efficiency projects in Canadian universities, including access to capital, bounded rationality, hidden costs, imperfect information, risk and split incentives. Methods to address these barriers are investigated, including evaluating the efficacy of…

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an overview of a content analysis of sustainability policies from Canadian post-secondary education institutions. The paper reports findings on the orientations to sustainability evident in the policies; references to other policies within the documents; and other key themes on how sustainability is engaged in…

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges today. Throughout the world, countries are taking bold steps to create a healthier and sustainable planet. Colleges have developed and implemented broad and significant measures to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, in everything from the development of new programs in…

The University of British Columbia (UBC) recently celebrated the opening of its Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS), a living laboratory for researchers to teach, test, and study the long-term impact of sustainable practices and technologies. Featuring advanced building controls, sensing technology, and management software…

With buildings consuming almost half (49 percent) of all energy used in the United States, and three quarters of all electricity, there is a compelling need for investment in energy efficiency upgrades. These energy saving improvements "represent a significant opportunity to save money, reduce climate impact and generate jobs," according…

This article presents an overview of the sustainability initiatives at the St. John's campus of Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). The key initiatives include setting a realistic goal for energy efficiency, becoming carbon neutral, and conducting various research and outreach projects related to sustainability. As…

The Summer 2012 SQR: "Innovations in Campus Sustainability," explores the critical linkages between education, innovation, and sustainability. This issue highlights new and ground-breaking practices within the Innovation (IN) category of STARS, focusing on the unique solutions within higher education that positively impact current and…