Communications

Student Conversations on Sustainability

Kiera Reid — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 19:43:16 +0000

Student Conversations on Sustainability Kiera Reid Thu, 09/22/2022 - 15:43

Project Background

Katherine Hayhoe, world-renowned climate scientist and communicator likes to say that “The most important thing you can do to fight climate change is to talk about it”.¹ Talking about climate change and environmental sustainability has many positive impacts: it helps to raise awareness of these issues and why they matter to students, it raises the profile of climate change and sustainability and validates these as issues of concern in our society, it can empower individuals to take meaningful actions, it can give leaders the confidence that there is support for the systemic changes that are essential to building a sustainable future, and more.

In the University setting, students are central to the purpose of the institution and therefore the issues that matter to students are of concern to those who make decisions at the University and for the University. One of the key mechanisms for showing what matters to students is the conversations that they have amongst each other, with their instructors, with university staff, with administrators and other campus members. Creating more of a buzz around sustainability and climate change is therefore important but so is amplifying that buzz and creating quantitative and qualitative indicators for how strong that buzz is. When decision-makers at all levels are hearing that an issue is important to their major stakeholders, when they see numbers and stories that demonstrate that concern for the issue is widespread, they will feel the pressure to act, and they will know that there is support for action on these issues.

The Sustainability Office is looking to learn about best practices for encouraging more students to engage in sustainability-related conversations, both formally and informally. This work ultimately supports action on the Shift:Neutral climate action plan and all of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Project Example

Conducting a literature review on the institutional impacts of conversations about sustainability and climate change. Are there compelling examples, studies that have measured impacts, or theories of change that validate the importance of these conversations in general and in businesses/institutions in particular?
Researching best practices from other Universities for promoting conversations on sustainability and climate change.
Developing recommendations for how to inspire more sustainability and climate-related conversations between
- Students,
- Students and faculty or instructors,
- Students and staff (e.g. in residences, food courts, co-op office, etc.),
- Students and administrators.
Exploring simple ways of quantifying the number of student sustainability and climate change conversations occurring on campus.
Recommending simple ways of evaluating the impact of the recommendations.
Translating recommendations into infographics to disseminate on social media

¹ https://www.ted.com/talks/katharine_hayhoe_the_most_important_thing_you_can_do_to_fight_climate_change _talk_about_it

Visualizing UW in 2050

Kiera Reid — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:32:32 +0000

Visualizing UW in 2050 Kiera Reid Mon, 09/19/2022 - 10:32

Project Background

Imagine you are returning to campus in 2050, perhaps for a reunion with your fellow classmates, or even to witness your own child graduate. What will the campus look like? We don’t know a lot about what will change between now and mid-century, but we do know that our campus and our society aim to be net zero emissions. Our climate action plan, Shift:Neutral, lays out a pathway to achieving those emissions reductions: through upgrades to buildings, through electrification of our heating systems, through greater use of active and sustainable transportation, through clean energy production, etc. Green spaces may also look different as we increasingly value naturalized spaces, green roofs, the services provided by trees, and other forms of biodiversity. How will those things change the look of our campus? That is far less obvious.

The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ Sustainability Office is looking for student visions of what a sustainable and zero-emission campus might look like in 2050. This work relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular emphasis on SDGs 11, 13, and 15.

Project Examples

Reviewing the Shift Neutral climate action plan and Sustainable Development Goals to understand the changes needed to achieve net zero emissions and a more sustainable campus in general.
Creating images of that show how the campus as a whole or recognizable parts of it will evolve between now and 2050.

Health-based Communication Strategy

Kiera Reid — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:44:12 +0000

Health-based Communication Strategy Kiera Reid Fri, 09/16/2022 - 16:44

Project Background

Too often, important decisions are made based almost entirely on very narrow economic factors: upfront costs, operational costs, payback periods, etc. Yet these decisions often have social, ecological and health implications that are overlooked or under-appreciated in these analyses. Creative and compelling value propositions that showcase these other dimensions can help to drive better decisions that can also be more cost-effective in the long term when the broader and full costs of a decision are considered.

The Sustainability Office is looking to develop new communication tools for the health benefits for a variety of the programs and operations that it influences. These communication tools can help to highlight the multi-dimensional value of sustainable choices and build compelling cases for decisions that may not appear to be the best economic choice at first glance. This work relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 15.

Project Examples

Researching sustainability practices promoted by the Sustainability Office in one or more of the following areas:
- Naturalized landscaping
- Other landscaping
- Green roofs and blue roofs
- Sustainable food choices
- Commutes to work
- Water use
- New building standards
- Energy efficiency
- Greenhouse gas emissions reduction
- Other
Researching best practices for communicating health-based benefits or value for sustainable practices related to the areas above. These health benefits may be:
- Qualitative e.g., Exposure to nature can improve mental health
- Quantitative e.g., A 2.5cm diameter oak tree planted on campus will remove 25 g of PM2.5 over 20 years¹
Developing creative and compelling communication strategies for raising awareness of the health benefits of sustainable practices

¹https://mytree.itreetools.org/#/benefits/individual

Public Service Announcement for Sustainable Food

Sneha Praveen — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 17:31:59 +0000

Public Service Announcement for Sustainable Food Sneha Praveen Fri, 08/19/2022 - 13:31

Background

Our food choices affect our health, our pocketbooks, our self-image, and they also have an environmental footprint. Food production, transportation, processing, packaging and disposal are also responsible for significant environmental impacts. And when it comes to climate change, food generates over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, with animal-based foods being responsible for much of those emissions. Yet consumers are often unaware or have misconceptions about the magnitude and factors that contribute to the environmental footprint of their food choices. The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ Environmental Sustainability Strategy aims to address some of this knowledge gap through objective O12: by 2020, deliver multifaceted programming to grow student and employee awareness about healthy and sustainable food choices.

To date, the Sustainability Office and 2025 ��ݮ��Ƶ have rolled out 18 programs and initiatives to promote sustainable food choices and practices, including workshops, food labels, increased plant based menu options, sourcing local food, and encouraging reduced food waste. However, there is more work to be done.

The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ is looking for inspirational communication approaches to increase awareness of healthy and sustainable food choices available on campus and in our community, in ways that are meaningful for a student audience. Specifically, the hope is to develop communications assets to succinctly but creatively share or visualize the efforts that are underway within 2025 ��ݮ��Ƶ, the beneficial impact that they are having, and the decisions students and other patrons/consumers can make to support those outcomes. This work relates to Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 11 and 13.

Scope of Work

Develop a public service announcement/communications campaign for increasing healthy and sustainable food choices on campus targeting one or more of the following:

Eco-certified products: Fair trade, MSC
Locally sourced food (farm to campus fresh program)
Vegetarian and vegan options
Use of eco-containers and lug-a-mug
Food waste reduction

Stakeholders

Sustainability Office
2025 ��ݮ��Ƶ

Proposed Deliverables

The details of the deliverables are flexible but must meet the requirements set out by the course instructor. Some proposed deliverables include:

Public service announcement text and/or images, visualizations, frameworks, etc. that the University is free to use in promoting sustainable and healthy food choices

Communications Strategy for Sustainable Food

Sneha Praveen — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 17:16:42 +0000

Communications Strategy for Sustainable Food Sneha Praveen Fri, 08/19/2022 - 13:16

Project Background

Our food choices affect our health, our pocketbooks, our self-image, and they also have an environmental footprint. Food production, transportation, processing, packaging and disposal are also responsible for significant environmental impacts. And when it comes to climate change, food is responsible for over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, with animal-based foods being responsible for much of those emissions^1,2 . Yet consumers are often unaware or have misconceptions about the magnitude and factors that contribute to the environmental footprint of their food choices. The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ Environmental Sustainability Strategy aims to address some of this knowledge gap through objective O12: by 2020, deliver multifaceted programming to grow student and employee awareness about healthy and sustainable food choices. This work also relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 12, and 13.

To date, the Sustainability Office and 2025 ��ݮ��Ƶ have rolled out 18 programs and initiatives to promote sustainable food choices and practices, including workshops, food labels, increased plant-based menu options, sourcing local food, and encouraging reduced food waste³ . But there is more work to be done.

The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ is looking for a communications strategy to further increase awareness of healthy and sustainable food choices available on campus and in our community.

Project Examples

Researching sustainable and healthy food choices, including climate impacts, geographic and seasonal food sourcing (local vs imported), certification mechanisms, packaging, waste management, and others.
Conducting a survey of student and employee sustainable and healthy food literacy, attitudes, and priorities.
Researching best practices from other major institutions for increasing awareness of the health and environmental impacts of food choices.
Developing a communications strategy for increasing healthy and sustainable food choices on campus.
Making recommendations for how to easily measure the impact of that communications strategy on food choices on campus.

¹ Poore, J., & Nemecek, T. (2018). Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science, 360(6392), 987-992

² Ritchie, H. (2021). You want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food? Focus on what you eat, not whether your food is local. Our World in Data. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local

³Sustainability (n.d.). Food choices. University of ��ݮ��Ƶ. retrieved from /sustainability/about/reporting/food-data

Communications Strategies for Saving Electricity

Sneha Praveen — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 17:02:20 +0000

Communications Strategies for Saving Electricity Sneha Praveen Fri, 08/19/2022 - 13:02

Project Background

We all know that it is bad to waste electricity. Electricity costs money and generating electricity has an environmental footprint (even renewables). On hot summer days in Ontario, we rely on gas-fired power plants to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running and that has a major carbon footprint and consequences for outdoor air quality. On these days, and other peak demand days, the financial savings are also greater because, as a large institution, our electricity rates throughout the year are largely based on the electricity used during the five peak demand days (on billing, see IESO Guide to Wholesale Electricity Charges, and ��ݮ��Ƶ North Hydro Medium and Large Commercial Rates). Because we know in advance when these peak demand days are likely to occur, we can take steps to reduce our electricity use.

When it comes to saving electricity, however, the role that individual campus members can play is often restricted to the simple things that we all know about but often don’t do. These include little things like turning off the lights, shutting down the second computer screen, unplugging small appliances, closing fume hoods, and more. These may be small actions, but their impacts are additive, especially if habits are changed and social norms evolve.

The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ Sustainability Office is looking to develop new communication strategies to reduce the electricity that is wasted in residences, classrooms, labs, and offices. This work relates to UN Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13 and to the campus Shift:Neutral climate action plan:

32. Action: Develop a visual identity to raise the visibility of energy efficiency and carbon reduction projects, and increase communication to raise awareness among campus stakeholders;

33. Consideration: Stronger guidelines for shutdown procedures of lights, IT equipment, and personal computing equipment will be considered.

Project Examples

There are four target audiences for this work: students in residences, classroom users, lab members, and office staff. Projects should identify and focus on one of these audiences.

Outlining the key characteristics of the target audiences and the electricity use that is under their control
Identifying one to three meaningful actions that these members can take to reduce electricity use on campus
Reviewing existing communications strategies for the chosen actions
Researching innovative communications strategies from other institutions that address these actions
Estimating the electricity and emissions impacts of a single action and if the action were taken by the entire target population using:
- Marginal emissions factors from the IESO Annual Planning Outlook data tables
- High level electricity cost estimates from the Sustainability Office
Researching further value propositions for the target actions
Developing new communications materials that address the targeted actions and populations

Naturalized Landscaping Communications Strategy

Sneha Praveen — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 16:47:31 +0000

Naturalized Landscaping Communications Strategy Sneha Praveen Fri, 08/19/2022 - 12:47

Project Background

Since 1997, all new plants introduced to campus properties have been listed as native species that require less maintenance, are better suited to our climate, support local wildlife including pollinators, and help to reduce invasive plants. The Environmental Sustainability Strategy includes goals of using sustainable landscaping maintenance standards and developing a remediation and preservation plan for targeted areas by 2025. The benefits are multiple: reduced need for pest control measures, habitat creation, increased biodiversity, improved air and water quality, reduced urban heat island effects, and more. Yet there are social barriers to sustainable landscaping practices because our society has expectations of well-manicured lawn and landscaping. The University would like to better understand these barriers and develop communications strategies based on best practices at other institutions.

Project Examples

Conducting a literature review of social barriers to natural landscaping in public spaces.
Conducting a campus survey to understand local attitudes and awareness of natural landscaping.
Consulting with Grounds Services to understand their barriers to the greater adoption of natural landscaping.
Studying the natural gardens around the ENV buildings which have signs and the story map of gardens created by Ecology Lab.
Researching best practices from other major institutions to address attitudinal barriers to natural landscaping.
Recommending a communication strategy to address social expectations for naturalization in open spaces on campus, including key messages and images for different media types.

Communicating the Benefits of Sustainability Initiatives

Sneha Praveen — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 16:25:09 +0000

Communicating the Benefits of Sustainability Initiatives Sneha Praveen Fri, 08/19/2022 - 12:25

Project Background

Too often important decisions are made based almost entirely on very narrow economic factors: upfront costs, operational costs, payback periods, etc. Yet these decisions often have social, ecological and health implications that are overlooked or under-appreciated in these analyses. Creative and compelling value propositions that showcase these other dimensions can help to drive better decisions that can also be more cost-effective in the long term when the broader and full costs of a decision are considered.

The Sustainability Office is looking to develop new communication tools for the non-economic benefits of a variety of the programs and operations that it influences. These communication tools can help to highlight the multi-dimensional value of sustainable choices and build compelling cases for decisions that may not appear to be the best choice at first glance when only upfront costs are considered. This work relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 15.

Project Examples

Researching sustainability practices promoted by the Sustainability Office in one or more of the following areas:
- Naturalized landscaping
- Other landscaping
- Green roofs and blue roofs
- Sustainable food choices
- Commutes to work
- Water use
- New building standards
- Energy efficiency
- Greenhouse gas emissions reduction
- Other
Researching best practices for communicating the non-economic benefits or value for sustainable practices related to the areas above. These benefits may include social, physical and/or mental health, ecological and environmental, climate-related, political, reputational, and others. The benefits can also be
- Qualitative eg. Exposure to nature can improve mental health
- Quantitative eg. A 2.5cm diameter Oak tree planted on campus will remove 25 g of PM2.5 over 20 years¹
  - Note: unless the evidence is strong, it is best to avoid attempting to put a dollar value on non-economic benefits
Developing creative and compelling communication strategies for raising awareness of these noneconomic benefits of sustainable practices.

¹ https://mytree.itreetools.org/#/benefits/individual