Co-op Car Requirement Study

Kiera Reid — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:47:32 +0000

Co-op Car Requirement Study Kiera Reid Tue, 09/20/2022 - 10:47

Project Background

Transportation accounted for 49% of ��ݮ��Ƶ Region’s total emissions in 2015¹ and will be a major target as it enacts its plan to achieve an 80% reduction in emissions below 2005 levels by 2050. Here at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ, commuting contributes an estimated 19% of emissions associated with the University². Commuting emissions are part of the campus goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Action item 41 of the Shift:Neutral climate action plan is the development of an institutional Transportation Demand Management Plan. The development of this plan will require a better understanding of current commuting mode share and the transportation mode options that are practical and accessible to employees.

Some co-op work terms require students to have access to a vehicle for their work either because the job requires travel or because workplaces are difficult to access by other means. Between winter of 2018 and fall of 2021, 6.9% of ��ݮ��Ƶ co-op job postings explicitly required access to personal transportation. This is likely an underestimation because many jobs moved to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and because job postings may not have explicitly made this a requirement even when it is effectively true.

There are concerns that the convenience of a personal vehicle can result in decreased use of sustainable travel choices for commuting to campus. Furthermore, car ownership is expensive, in the order of $9,000US per year¹ and access to a vehicle could be a barrier to equitable access to co-op jobs. Here at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ, where two-thirds of full-time undergraduate students are enrolled in a co-op program, the impact of requiring a vehicle for co-op work terms may be significant. It may also create a sunk cost wherein once they purchase a vehicle, students are less likely to use more sustainable modes of transportation to and from the campus going forward.

The University of ��ݮ��Ƶ would like to understand how many students feel the need to buy personal vehicles for their co-op terms and explore options for reducing the impact of this requirement on student travel to campus behaviour. This work relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 8, 10, 11 and 13.

Project Examples

Conducting a student survey to:
- Estimate how many own or are considering acquiring a personal vehicle as a direct consequence of co-op work terms,
- Understand whether required vehicle access is a barrier to obtaining co-op placements and if so, estimate the degree to which it acts as a barrier,
- Estimate the annual cost of vehicle ownership for students,
- Estimate the impact on commuting choices in subsequent academic semesters,
- Assess their willingness to consider other options, such as 4-month rentals.
Conducting research to profile any historical or existing programs for 4-month vehicle rentals (the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ currently has negotiated preferred rates with Enterprise for short term rentals).
Conducting research to identify other programs that could cost-effectively reduce the need for personal vehicle ownership for co-op work terms.
Performing a high-level cost-effectiveness analysis for vehicle ownership versus 4-month rentals, assuming one co-op term per year requires access to a vehicle.
Making recommendations for reducing the need for vehicle ownership for co-op terms.

¹Moody, J., Farr, E., Papagelis, M. et al. The value of car ownership and use in the United States. Nat Sustain 4, 769–774 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00731-5

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

SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities

Co-op Car Requirement Study

Project Background

Project Examples

Communicating the Benefits of Sustainability Initiatives

Project Background

Project Examples