Today marks the release of the third annual President’s Sustainability Council Annual Report.
The report, which covers the period from May 2011 to April 2012, summarizes progress York University has made towards implementing the 59 recommendations the President’s Sustainability Council (PSC) has made to the University over the past three years. It also includes 12 new recommendations that were advanced by the working groups of the council over the past year. (Click on the graphic to download a PDF of the report.)
“I am very proud of the work being done by the President’s Sustainability Council,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “York University is committed to being one of the leading institutions in Canada on sustainability and the new Annual Report highlights the significant progress we have made in that regard over the past year. We are particularly pleased with the creation of two new staff positions in sustainability, the launch of new programs like the Sustainability Ambassadors and Green Office programs, and the announcement earlier this year of the phase out of the sale of bottled water on campus by September 2015.”
The report also highlights a number of new recommendations that will be advanced in the coming year. Some of the recommendations include: the development of new performance measurement targets and policies relating to sustainability; new co-curricular opportunities in sustainability; enhancing the incorporation of social justice and human rights considerations into sustainability initiatives; and the creation of a multi-stakeholder committee on responsible investing.
“We are very encouraged by the accomplishments of the President’s Sustainability Council over the past year,” said President’s Sustainability Council Chair Ilan Kapoor, a professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies. “The new Annual Report will help us communicate these accomplishments to the broader York community and we also hope it will encourage others to get involved in sustainability initiatives at York.”
Consisting of students, faculty and staff, the PSC is an advisory body to the president with responsibility for providing input and recommendations on how to advance York University’s sustainability initiatives, projects and practices, and to provide oversight of the required actions from approved recommendations.
To view the infographic (above) click on the image to produce a full size PDF. To view the full report and executive summary, and for more information on the PSC and sustainability initiatives at York, visit the Sustainability website and click on the Annual Report link.