CAP

Climate Action Plan

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Overview:

Guided by our Climate Action Plan (CAP), the University of Calgary is committed to becoming a carbon neutral campus by 2050. The CAP is an operational planning document that outlines short-term and long-term actions to realize emissions reductions through four key focus areas:  

  1. New building innovation  

  1. Existing building energy retrofits 

  1. Green power 

  1. Decarbonization of the district energy system 

These priority areas will also require behaviour changes from the community to engage building occupants and operators in day-to-day actions to reduce energy use. Fostering greater engagement between the CAP and the campus community was the main impetus for the CAP CLL Peer Helper project. Working with staff members from the Office of Sustainability’s Energy Performance Innovation and Reporting and Engagement team, the CAP Peer Helper group coordinated several engagement events to raise awareness for the CAP and its objectives. 

Outcomes:

  • Hosted an interactive “Connecting to the Climate Action Plan” webinar in partnership with the Office of Sustainability during a MacKimmie Tower Lunch and Learn series event. The webinar invited UCalgary community members to learn more about the CAP, building retrofits, emission reduction targets, other ways UCalgary is demonstrating climate leadership. It also covered different ways for people to get involved with the CAP on campus. The webinar drew 35 attendees including peer helpers and staff.  

  • Ran a Social media campaign through the institutional sustainability account @ucalgarysustain, which included an Instagram survey and post. The survey asked if people had heard of the Climate Action Plan before, to which 45% of the participants said yes and 55% said no. After the initial question, people were given information on what the CAP is, and its GHG emission reduction targets. Finally, participants were asked if the information was helpful, and if they had learned more about the CAP through the campaign. 97% of respondents agreed that they had learned more, while 3% said no. In total, 47 people participated in the survey out of the approximate 200 people who viewed the story.  

  • Campus engagement booths were cancelled due to COVID-19 campus closures. 

Next Steps:

  • Host engagement booths with CAP trivia and sustainable prizes for participation once classes transition back to campus.   

  • Continue to gauge individuals knowledge about the CAP on social media. The social media accounts will also continue to educate people on the CAP and how they can promote its principles in their everyday lives. 

  • Conduct campus community research conducted to identify barriers and motivations for desired sustainable behaviours.