Sustainability Steering Committee

Mission Statement:

McMaster University will apply its immense potential and use its creative and innovative campus community to advance sustainable operations and growth. McMaster is helping to shape the minds and values of a new generation of leaders and decision makers by integrating an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable consciousness into all aspects of the university lifecycle through innovation, communication, community engagement and implementation.

Guiding Principles:

  • Identify and establish sustainable objectives and goals
  • Provide a framework for developing sustainable procedures and initiatives
  • Communicate awareness to all stakeholders
  • Involve, engage and collaborate with all stakeholders
  • Develop a university-wide culture of sustainability
  • Educate for sustainable community participation
  • Respond to concerns as raised by stakeholders
  • Conduct all initiatives in a transparent and sustainable manner
  • Measure and report annually on indicators to track progress toward improved sustainability

 

Areas of Focus:

The issues to be studied include, but are not limited, to:

  • Education
  • Energy
  • Green Space
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Transportation
  • Waste
  • Water

 

Authority:

The committee’s authority comes from the Board of Governors through the Office of the Vice-President (Administration) in accordance with relevant legal and moral obligations. Those matters outside its jurisdiction will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Desired Outcomes:

  • Enhance the social health and wellbeing of the McMaster community as well as those external communities at the local and global level
  • Improve the quality of the natural environment on campus and decrease our environmental footprint at the local and global level
  • Harvest the economic benefit resulting from our improved efficiency and responsibility

 

Membership:

Chairmanship:

  • Senior Manager, University Sustainability (Co-Chair)
  • Professor and Chair in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, and Acting Chair in the Department of Biology (Co-Chair)

Standing Members:

  • Vice-President (Administration)
  • Assistant Vice-President, Facility Services
  • Alumni Association representative
  • Graduate Students Association representative
  • Purchasing Officer
  • Director, MACgreen
  • Faculty/Research Representative
  • Faculty of Health Sciences Representative
  • Inter-Residence Council Representative
  • Environmental and Occupational Health Support Services Representative
  • Hospitality Services Representative
  • Housing and Conference Services, Residence Life Representative
  • Off-Campus Resource Centre Representative
  • Chief Risk Officer
  • Associate Director, Public Relations
  • President, McMaster Student’s Union
  • Director, Security & Parking
  • University Technology Services Representative
Ad Hoc:
  • Other pan-University/community members (open)

Membership Term:

Two or three years (flexible).

Meetings:

  • Frequency: bimonthly.
  • Meetings are open.

Minutes:

May 28, 2013
March 26, 2013
January 29, 2013

Archived Document

 

Sustainability Steering Committee

Minutes

2012:
November 27, 2012
September 27, 2012
July 24, 2012
March 28, 2012
January 25, 2012

 

Please note that in 2009 the Environmental Steering Committee transformed into the Sustainability
Steering Committee that includes additional members and areas of focus

In January 2010, The Sustainability Promotion/Communication Advisory Committee merged with the
Sustainability Steering Committee

Please contact the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@mcmaster.ca for past records including
the McMaster Environmental Steering Committee meeting minutes, the McMaster Environmental
Report Card, the Sustainability Promotion and Communication Advisory Committee overview and/or
Sustainability Steering Committee minutes prior to January 2012

 

April 9, 2012