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Brighter World

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Climate Action Plan, Shared

Local education programmes on climate

Addressing climate change impact on Black communities

Ingrid Waldron, the HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Faculty of Humanities, and McMaster Engineering researcher Zobia Jawed are working together on a series of educational workshops for underrepresented communities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area to bridge the gap between these communities and climate policymakers. 

“In the complex intersection of climate challenges and infrastructure shortcomings, underrepresented communities fervently call for immediate action,” says Jawed, who has taken on a Senior Research Fellowship in the Global Peace and Social Justice program. 

With the help of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, the Toronto Environmental Alliance and Waldron’s Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities and Community Health Project, the workshops link climate change and climate justice to relevant aspects of life for the participants. 

The workshops will begin early in 2024 and will continue through the end of 2026. The goal is to spark and sustain an interest in climate action, empower participants to act, get them comfortable with talking about climate change, and generate passion for the cause. 

McMaster Children and Youth University (MCYU)

McMaster engages Hamilton on climate change and looks for opportunities to educate the community on impacts and strategies. Our Community Engagement group, through the CMTYENGA course, connects students to the community to support real-life issues.

In collaboration with three MCYU student facilitators (enrolled in CMTYENGA), the Grade 4-5 students of Mrs. Croke’s class at R.A Riddell Elementary have been working together to learn more about Lake Ontario, gaining a deeper understanding of the lake’s past, present and future. With the help of our MCYU student facilitators, the students created an online, interactive science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) project to share their newfound knowledge about the lake. The project highlights the life and state of Lake Ontario, through an exploration of its past—the indigenous life and their sustainable activities around Lake Ontario. The current degraded state and life of Lake Ontario is due to various forms of pollution and unsustainable practices, for example, overfishing. The project also sheds light on our civic responsibility to maintain a healthy life for, and within, Lake Ontario.

CityLAB Semester in Residence

Students develop citizen engagement initiatives for climate change and protection of vulnerable populations. The CityLAB Semester in Residence provides opportunities for students to co-create and design innovative real-world projects. This year, the topic is Climate Change, and students work with staff from the City of Hamilton and the broader community to co-create and test ideas with residents, community organizations and City of Hamilton staff.

“Each year within the CityLAB SIR program we aim to bring projects into the fold that relate to a broad theme that will help us explore our city and community together through a dynamic, fun, experiential, and innovative curriculum that will see students contributing ideas to challenges we’re facing now and into the future. This year our theme—How might we build a climate resilient future?—asks us to bring a critical lens to our explorations, discussions, and project work. Throughout CityLAB SIR, we will explore what this question means to the future of the City of Hamilton. Developed in alignment with the City of Hamilton’s new climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, the semester will see students working alongside leaders within the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton community to think critically about what a climate resilient future might look like in Hamilton. Interacting with experts from a range of sectors to glean systems-wide insights on how climate change is impacting our communities and the world at large, the program will see students working in interdisciplinary teams that co-create and test concepts and ideas with residents, community organizations, and City of Hamilton staff through collaborative dialogues and design charettes. Students will also have the opportunity to pursue emergent climate solutions through a student-led personal project aimed at fostering transformative insights for addressing climate change in Hamilton and beyond.”

Examples of other outreach activities include work with the Bay Area Restoration Council, Environment Hamilton and the City of Hamilton.

Establish A Model Forest with McMaster

Students working with the McMaster Centre for Climate Change participate in high-school outreach activities to highlight climate change and its impacts.

Work with us to establish a “model forest” that will sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide and help mitigate the effects of climate change. The McMaster Carbon Sink Forest initiative will develop a model forest where 1,000 native tree species will be planted to facilitate maximum carbon sink capabilities while also taking into consideration promoting and preserving biodiversity, sustainability, and conservation. A team of faculty and students will track the growth and health of each tree for years to come and share this data with other researchers working to grow carbon sink forests in Canada and around the world.

Established on a one-hectare plot beside McMaster Forest lands in west Hamilton, McMaster Carbon Sink Forest is accessible by walking, biking, public transit, or car.

Planting began on November 6, 2021 with 250 trees planted by students and members of the public. A second planting took place on Earth Day. A third planting where students and volunteers expand the McMaster Carbon Sink Forest was held on November 5, 2022. The final planting took place on April 22, 2023.

The Center for Climate Change also hosts regular speaker series, academic seminars, and conferences on early warning and prevention of climate change impacts as well as on actions the global citizens can take to mitigate the current widespread effects of greenhouse gas emissions. All members of the local community are able to register and attend, free of cost. Below are some of the notable mentions:

Climate Action Plan, Shared

McMaster University plans for action against climate change in publicly shared strategies, engages in important climate research in partnership with community and government and offers climate action education to its students, ensuring the participation of all who want to learn and address climate change.

2022-2026 Sustainability Strategy

The Sustainability Strategy provides an overview of all the actions necessary to ensure our campus and community are helping us measure and reduce both our greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts they have on our environment and our health. If you are interested in learning more about this strategy, wondering how to get involved, or are aware of a sustainability related story you think should be told, please connect with the Office of Sustainability at McMaster by emailing sustainability@mcmaster.ca.

Net Zero Carbon Roadmap

Our Net Zero Carbon Roadmap provides an inventory of existing emissions, our reduction goals and priority actions to ensure we are reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions from all campus activities.

Campus Plan

Our Campus Plan provides an overview of the design characteristics for our Main Campus in Hamilton, taking into account sustainability and climate action as one of the key principles. One of the purposes of the campus plan (a long-term vision for the campus) is to support the University’s response to the climate and biodiversity emergency, and the delivery of our Sustainability Strategy and Net Zero Carbon Roadmap.

Sustainability Policy

PREAMBLE AND PURPOSE

  1. McMaster University aspires to transform its campus into a living laboratory for sustainability, accessibility and inclusion while also advancing its sustainable operations and growth.
  2. This Policy provides a framework for using innovation, communication, and community engagement to integrate an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable consciousness into all aspects of the University’s lifecycle. This process will foster the development of our learners, leaders, and decisionmakers.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

  1. To meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the University developed the following principles to act as the foundation of its sustainability strategy. In considering its sustainability efforts, the University will:
  • apply a lens of Indigeneity;
  • enhance equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusive excellence;
  • recognize that sustainability work is a collaborative and evolving effort with a shared responsibility;
  • strive for innovative solutions, informed by the best available data and relying on our on-campus experts in their respective fields, tailored to our community;
  • promote, communicate, and recognize sustainability successes in the University community.

SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK

  1. To support sustainability efforts on campus and the community, a culture of sustainability must be developed and fostered. To this end, the University has the following objectives:
  • Align sustainability efforts with other strategic objectives, including the Indigenous Strategic Direction Plan;
  • Increase awareness of sustainability throughout the community via a robust communication strategy;
  • Develop new engagement strategies with students, staff, faculty, visitors, and the broader Hamilton community;
  • Create opportunities for the McMaster community to increase the understanding of sustainability on and off campus.

Sustainable Building Policy

In 2005, McMaster became the first university in Ontario to develop and implement a Sustainable Building Policy. This policy provides guidance on developing new and undertaking major renovations of occupied facilities to meet or exceed the Silver Level Rating of the LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating System.

Sustainable Procurement

To align with McMaster’s overall sustainability goals and strategic procurement’s objectives, Hospitality Services has created a policy that ensures that socially responsible procurement standards are embedded into the department. Embedded in the policy (pg. 2) is a commitment to reducing waste by procuring compostable cutlery, take-out containers, coffee cups and other food packages. There are additional RFP tools for prospective suppliers the university could use to learn about the supplier’s sustainability practices.

Centre for Climate Change

The McMaster Centre for Climate Change studies the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, water resources, human health and society to improve our understanding of physical, biological and chemical processes and advance the predictive capabilities of Earth System models. It engages in community educational outreach and partners with government, non-profits and other organizations.

Government Collaboration on Carbon Emission Reduction Technology

McMaster’s nuclear experts were invited to the Government of Canada’s House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Science and Research to discuss small modular reactor (SMR) research and development in Canada. The experts spoke with government leaders about the university’s role in SMR research and the role they can play in reducing carbon emissions nationally.

Institute for Energy Studies Advising Local Government

McMaster University Institute for Energy Studies (MIES), in collaboration with the Integrated Community Energy and Harvesting systems’ (ICE-Harvest) Energy Research Cooperative, has provided advice to Ontario’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Communities, recommending it adopt Energy Harvesting Infrastructure as a cornerstone of its clean energy investment strategy. This is one example of how McMaster researchers collaborate with local government to plan for a healthier climate.

Sustainable Future Program

The Sustainable Future Program is open to all McMaster students and includes a suite of five academic courses to help understand and combat climate change.

Minor in Sustainability

McMaster offers students the opportunity to earn an interdisciplinary minor in sustainability. By offering courses and credits focused on climate change action from a variety of disciplines, McMaster helps to foster curiosity, knowledge and leadership in sustainability across academic boundaries.

McMaster University actively addresses climate change through local initiatives and campaigns on climate change risks, aimed at raising awareness on campus and within the broader community. The university also focuses on promoting actions to mitigate climate change risks by encouraging sustainable practices, conducting impactful research, and fostering collaborations to reduce environmental harm. Furthermore, McMaster supports early warning outreach programs on climate change, ensuring communities are equipped with timely information to prepare for and adapt to climate-related challenges.

Cooperative planning for climate change disasters

McMaster University fosters partnerships by collaborating with governments, organizations, and community groups to strengthen resilience against climate change disasters. Through collaborative planning for climate change disasters, the university brings together experts and stakeholders to develop innovative solutions and strategies.

  • Ontario municipalities not ready for climate migration boom: study
    • The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects 143 million people will be forced to migrate due to rising oceans, drought, searing temperatures and related natural disasters over the next 30 years. Ontario is seen as a good destination for migrants due to the abundant freshwater supply and the climate regulating effects of the Great Lakes.
    • The study, which was published in the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, examined environmental data from Ontario municipalities. Researchers found an association between higher immigrant populations and the need for more municipal spending on environmental protection.
  • Flood forecasting tool
    • The McMaster Engineering professor — working jointly across civil engineering and with the School of Earth, Environment and Society — and FloodNet are involved in developing a next generation flood forecasting tool that’s adaptive to Canadian geographic conditions.

McMaster’s Sustainability Policy has expanded the University’s focus on waste management, paying particular attention to plastics. The University looks to plan and coordinate campus initiatives to reduce consumption of all materials, with a focus on plastics and single-use items destined to landfill (pg. 3). To align with McMaster’s overall sustainability goals and strategic procurement’s objectives, Hospitality Services has created a policy that ensures that socially responsible procurement standards are embedded into the department. Embedded in the policy (pg. 2) is a commitment to reducing waste by procuring compostable cutlery, take-out containers, coffee cups and other food packages. There are additional RFP tools for prospective suppliers the university could use to learn about the supplier’s sustainability practices.

McMaster researchers are teaming up with industry and research partners – on campus, in our communities and abroad – to tackle the most pressing challenges facing our planet. Here are some ways in which our researchers are working with organizations and institutions to build a more sustainable world.

Power plant

  • Every year, crops across Canada are sprayed with pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. These chemicals, which protect against harmful bacteria and infestations, also create a severe threat to our natural environments, disturbing natural ecosystems, contaminating soil and water and causing health problems in individuals who unknowingly consume them.
  • That’s why McMaster researcher and chemical engineering professor Todd Hoare has teamed up with Suncor, a Canadian integrated energy company, to create a new type of “soft” chemical spray that will reduce the negative impact of current harmful sprays while promoting an approach that emphasizes sustainability and good health.

Ensuring nothing goes to waste

  • As you rip open the bag of baby carrots and pull the plastic tab that opens your hummus, you may not give much thought to the packaging — or what happens to it after you finish your snack. But with Canadians annually throwing away 3 million tonnes of plastic waste, of which only 9 per cent is recycled, sustainable packaging is now considered a key to reducing our environmental footprint.
  • For DeGroote School of Business marketing professor Devashish Pujari, sustainable packaging goes well beyond getting rid of single-use plastics. Part of an interdisciplinary research team with experts from the University of Guelph and Western University, Pujari is currently investigating how companies can move to a circular economy model, in which nothing goes to waste.

Food rescue

  • Crowdsourcing improves costs, speed, quality, flexibility, scalability, and diversity. It has also transformed the process of financing projects and is valued at $13.64 billion.
  • Now, a team of McMaster researchers has teamed up with industry partners to determine whether a method they have dubbed ‘Crowdfeeding’ can be a viable solution in helping to reduce hunger in Canada. It’s all part of a project to develop models and software to streamline the operations of the food rescue ecosystem — and effectively deliver fresh food to those in need.

By the light of the moon

  • McMaster researcher Andrew Gadsden and his team of experts have worked with NASA to build an autonomous, robotic telescope mount to help create more accurate climate change models.
  • The airborne lunar spectral irradiance mission — air-LUSI —will send a telescope into high-altitude flight to measure reflected moonlight with unprecedented accuracy. These measurements will be used to improve the calibration efforts of NASA’s Earth-observing satellites, used in the creation of climate change models.

Climate change is among the most complex issues of our time.  The McMaster Centre for Climate Change strongly supports the need for individuals, groups, and organizations to work together in exploring how best to learn, react, and adapt to climate change. As a part of our outreach mandate, we have developed partnerships with the following organizations.

International, National and Provincial Organizations

Regional Organizations

McMaster Organizations

Informing and supporting government and collaborating with NGOs

The McMaster Centre for Climate Change partners with a number of government bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to work together to exploring how best to learn, react, and collaborate on climate adaptation. Through collaborative planning for climate change disasters, the university brings together experts and stakeholders to develop innovative solutions, strategies and outreach programmes.

  • Ontario municipalities not ready for climate migration boom: study
    • The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects 143 million people will be forced to migrate due to rising oceans, drought, searing temperatures and related natural disasters over the next 30 years. Ontario is seen as a good destination for migrants due to the abundant freshwater supply and the climate regulating effects of the Great Lakes.
    • The study, which was published in the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, examined environmental data from Ontario municipalities. Researchers found an association between higher immigrant populations and the need for more municipal spending on environmental protection.
  • Flood forecasting tool
    • The McMaster Engineering professor — working jointly across civil engineering and with the School of Earth, Environment and Society — and FloodNet are involved in developing a next generation flood forecasting tool that’s adaptive to Canadian geographic conditions.

“Unparalleled dedication to student growth and climate science” – Professor’s local initiatives have global impact

Dr. Altaf Arain, who’s now a professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society and the Science Research Chair in Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change, was looking to test a potential solution to our climate crisis. In 2002, he launched the Turkey Point Environmental Observatory which has been collecting data every half hour ever since, making it an invaluable resource for hundreds of climate scientists around the world. 

Seven years later, he founded the McMaster Centre for Climate – a centre he would lead for 15 years and build into a catalyst for interdisciplinary research, student engagement, science communication and community outreach. 

Altaf met with politicians and government agencies, fielding interview requests from journalists and connecting with climate scientists, groups and organizations looking to collaborate or replicate what the centre was doing at their universities. He says the centre has become everything he had hoped for – fostering multidisciplinary research with local to international partnerships, championing science communication and inspiring the next generation of climate scientists. 

Faculty associated with the centre have published more than 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, presented over 160 times at national and international scientific conferences, workshops and symposiums and secured more than $8.5 million in grants from Tri-Council agencies and the Global Water Futures Program. 

McMaster researchers to share expertise in climate justice, sustainable healthcare at COP29

Two McMaster researchers will be among the global experts at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) next week, lending their expertise to critical conversations around climate change.

Bonny Ibhawoh, vice-provost, International, will be engaging in bilateral talks and part of an interactive dialogue on climate justice, sustainability and the right to development. The professor of legal history and global human rights serves as chair of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development in the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva.

Myles Sergeant, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine who is deeply entrenched in efforts locally, provincially and nationally to reverse the effects of climate change, will be part of a session on decarbonizing healthcare as part of the Canada Pavilion at COP 29.

We spoke to the two experts ahead of COP29, which is taking place Nov. 11 – 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan about what they hope to accomplish at the global summit and the work we can do with global partners to tackle the threat of climate change.

Global Water Futures: Solutions to global water threats

Global Water Futures is a pan-Canadian research program that is funded in part by a $77.8-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. The overarching goal of the program is to deliver risk management solutions – informed by leading-edge water science and supported by innovative decision-making tools – to manage water futures in Canada and other cold regions where global warming is changing landscapes, ecosystems, and the water environment. Global Water Futures (GWF) aims to position Canada as a global leader in water science for cold regions and will address the strategic needs of the Canadian economy in adapting to change and managing risks of uncertain water futures and extreme events.

Symposium focuses on global crisis of drug-resistant infections

Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem that kills more than 1 million people every year. McMaster University hosted an interdisciplinary symposium where scientists, public health experts, legal and business leaders shared research and held discussions on the systemic issues like poor sanitation, lack of medical care, poor antibiotic stewardship, and overcrowded housing that contribute to increases in drug-resistant infections.

McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MILT)

MITL conducts world-class, multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral, collaborative research in transportation and logistics to:

  • Accelerate the identification, mobilization and adoption of knowledge and innovation;
  • Identify and address pressing regional and national challenges in transportation and logistics including those of vulnerable populations;
  • Educate the next generation of thought leaders in transportation and logistics;
  • Foster long-term strategic partnerships between the academic, public and private sectors, and;
  • Contribute to the international transportation and logistics research agenda.

Partnerships 

Collaborative solutions are required to address some of the big issues that impact the sustainable movement of goods and people. MITL works with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to identify the most important research questions. Since MITL’s inception in 2007, we are proud to say that we have worked with a wide array of organizations (including non-profit, government, and industry partners) on many research initiatives. Partnerships have been fundamental to MITL’s past success and will be crucial for the future. 

Low Carbon Energy Use

Operational Excellence 

The university is dedicated to transforming administrative and operational practices to be more sustainable: reducing our use of carbon and energy with the goal of being a carbon-free campus, reducing waste and committing to environmentally responsible procurement. 

Developing time-bound metrics that benchmark our progress across all strategic drivers is a priority and a responsibility shared by all McMaster leaders. The progress included here is a sample, with select waste management metrics, including total waste, waste diversion rate, and GHG emissions on campus. Ongoing efforts and initiatives will build on this foundation every reporting year. 

McMaster aims to reduce its utility consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions aligned with the targets outlined in the Net-Zero Carbon Roadmap (Net Zero Roadmap).  

The aim of the study (page 6) was to:  

  • Establish McMaster’s baseline energy use and carbon emissions of the buildings within scope and vehicle fleet 
  • Evaluate the current emissions and energy usage 
  • Identify methods of carbon reduction 
  • Illustrate potential pathways of carbon reduction which integrate and sequence the various recommendations 
  • Identify a detailed carbon reduction target and recommended path. 

A move from using natural gas to electricity as the main source of energy on campus would help with the transition to a low-carbon campus. The Energy Management Plan outlines how completed, ongoing, and future projects highlighted in this report will help us move towards our 2030 target, addressing the complex financial and regulatory systems we currently operate in. 

Since 2019, McMaster has completed several energy projects, which includes the following: 

  • Strobic Fan Upgrades: The project replaced old pneumatic dampers to DDC electronic at NRB and ABB for the high plume fans, resulting in savings of 22,000 kWh and 22.6 tonnes of CO2e. 
  • Fish Tank Water System Retrofit: The fish tank research room at Life Sciences Building utilized potable water which drained to the sewage system. By implementing an updated filtration system, and adding recirculation modes, the annual water consumption was reduced by 41,000 m3 resulting in annual savings of $134,000.  
  • Steam Traps Replacement: The steam distribution system at McMaster relies on stream traps to ensure proper steam distribution. Leaking traps are a major cause of energy loss due to the loss of condensate water. This project replaced old and leaky steam traps for better efficiency and energy savings. This project was completed in 2022 and it saved 99 tonnes of CO2e and $14,000 of annual gas savings.  
  • Metering Upgrades: This project upgraded old meters and installed new meters for all utility services (electricity, chilled water, steam) for 90% of the buildings on campus. This will enhance monitoring and tracking of utility services, facilitating measurement and verification plans for energy projects going forward. The project was completed in 2023 with a project budget of $1,798,500.  
  • Thermal Imaging Study – Campus Services Building: With advancements in aerial thermography (thermal scanning drones) combined with Artificial Intelligence algorithms, a pilot project utilized aerial thermography to perform a scan of the Campus Services Building (CSB) to help analyze the building façade. This technology pinpointed problematic envelope issues to quantify energy loss and indicated areas of leakages, responsible for an estimated energy loss of 313 MWh per year. An energy loss of up to 85 MWh per year can be prevented through building envelope measures. 

Ongoing projects (page 25) include: 

  • LSB Greenhouse Geothermal Heat Pump System 
  • Electric Boilers & Peak Shaving Generators 
  • Demand Control Ventilation – Physics Wing 
  • CSB and ADL Heat Pump Conversions 
  • Cooling Tower Replacement 
  • Recommissioning of the existing buildings 

 

  • Energy Management Dashboard:  
    • Real-time & historical data (municipal, domestic water, electricity); includes an app to engage the community with sustainable practices 
    • Facilities Services is implementing an Energy Resource Management Systems solution to  
      • Record energy use (including energy waste identification) 
      • Measure and report on low carbon energy used across campus 
      • Identify efficiency opportunities 
      • Collect utility bill data 
      • Engage the community in learning and active action around energy management 
    • The system is expected to be implemented by summer 2025. 

As part of the Sustainability policy, the University is committed to minimizing the amount of waste generated on campus. To advance this goal, the University has the following objectives:  

  • conduct an annual waste audit to measure the amount of waste sent to landfill and recycled;  
  • publish waste audit data and related waste reduction work plan;  
  • plan and coordinate campus initiatives to reduce consumption of all materials, with a focus on plastics and single-use items destined for landfill;  
  • develop a campus-wide composting program that supports our waste management practices;  
  • where possible, purchase reusable products and attempt to extend the lifecycle of goods where appropriate;  
  • explore the use of digital information storage strategies that reduce or remove the need to use paper;  
  • ensure responsible management of hazardous waste (from all campus activities, including research, teaching and operations);  
  • ensure that products purchased at the University may be recycled by our waste management provider and ensure that recycling is widely available on campus; and 
  • develop and implement effective programs and practices that support the above objectives 

Campus Plan 

The Campus Plan Steering Committee comprised a broad range of university leaders, faculty members, administrators, staff and student representatives. The role of the Steering Committee was to provide direction to the team in all aspects of the Campus Plan.  

A series of meetings, including an in-person design charette, were held with the Steering Committee throughout the duration of the Campus Plan stages.  

At the culmination of each stage of the Campus Plan process, a program of more formal presentations and discussions have been held with senior leadership groups across the university, providing the opportunity for review and comment in advance of the project moving forward to the next phase of its development. 

Energy and Sustainability Working Group (page 127) 

A series of meetings were held with the Energy and Sustainability working group from April through September 2022. Thematic meetings addressed the concepts of a strategy for sustainable buildings, the campus energy strategy, climate resilience and adaptation and benchmarks. The discussions were predominantly relying on the university’s Net Zero Carbon Roadmap and the university’s Sustainability Strategy 2022- 2026 for overall direction. The working group expressed support for the following initiatives: 

  • Implement a low-carbon central energy infrastructure – many solutions are found in the Net Zero Carbon Roadmap, which are in development. These include a zoned campus geothermal thermal system, small modular reactor to generate electricity combined with an ice harvesting thermal loop, photo-voltaic array power generation and the limited use of peak-shaver units. 
  • Implement a strategy for sustainable buildings – Mitigate climate change through efficient passive measures – use energy use intensity targets to reduce loads. 
  • Adapt existing and new buildings for their resiliency and passive survivability; Thrive by creating and improving buildings to support human health and wellness  
  • Prioritize passive measures to reduce energy use intensity and lower carbon emissions. 
  • Increase resiliency on campus – design for future climate conditions. 
  • Build healthy environments – monitor carbon dioxide in buildings and modulate ventilation rates, increase thermal comfort, daylighting, acoustic comfort and biophilia and locate amenities close to people spaces. 
  • Implement building automation systems (BAS) and SMART building systems.  
  • Develop building performance standards with guidance on using rating systems. 

The university should strive to be a leader in the transition to net zero carbon emissions, embracing new technology and opportunities to be a living laboratory for sustainability. This could be supported through zero and low-carbon energy generation, increased building energy efficiency in both new and refurbished buildings and carbon sequestration through the natural environment. 

Aims:  

  • Support the McMaster Sustainability Strategy to achieve net zero carbon emissions on campus. 
  • Explore and challenge the use of space to ensure the campus is an optimal spatial envelope to reduce operational carbon. 
  • Address the limitations of aging building stock and infrastructure (suitability, condition, and energy efficiency) through restoration, renewal, and adaptive reuse. 
  • Set high design standards and environmental performance targets for new build and refurbishment projects. 
  • De-carbonize building operations through greater electrification and the incorporation of current and emerging technology, geothermal heat pumps etc. 
  • Utilize smart technology to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the university estate and enhance the campus experience for all.  
  • Explore additional opportunities for innovative, low carbon energy generation.  
  • Carbon sequestration through the natural environment.