Queen’s joins University Climate Change Coalition

Queen’s joins University Climate Change Coalition

Partnership brings together leading research institutions to advance sustainability efforts.

By Dave Rideout

February 4, 2019

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Small windmill models on a table next to people working on laptops.
Queen’s has joined the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3), a group of 19 North American research institutions collaborating to accelerate local action against climate change. (Photo courtesy of RawPixel, Unsplash)

Queen’s University is now the newest member of the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3), a group of 19 leading North American research institutions united in a collaborative effort to accelerate local action against climate change.

Together, UC3 members leverage their institutional strengths to foster cross-sector partnerships and knowledge sharing aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and nurturing community resilience.

“A sustainable future has long been the goal of many research, teaching, and campus initiatives taking place here at Queen’s University,” says Daniel Woolf, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “The challenge of climate change is one that demands the world’s collective efforts, and post-secondary institutions can and lead the search for solutions. I look forward to the joint contributions that Queen’s and our new partners can continue to make in this area.”

Each UC3 member commits to convening a climate change forum within the first year of membership, bringing together community and business leaders, elected officials, advocates, and other stakeholders in their local areas to discuss research needs, science-based climate solutions, knowledge gaps, priorities, and recommendations.

Preliminary plans are in development to host a forum at Queen’s during Sustainability Week in October 2019. Community members are invited to provide input on what the forum could look like via the Sustainable Ideas form.

“Queen’s has and continues to be committed to strengthening a culture of sustainability within our campus community,” says Donna Janiec, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration). “We look forward to collaborating with our UC3 partners as we continue striving to reduce our environmental footprint.”

Queen’s has a long history of sustainability efforts on campus. Recent initiatives include construction on the West Campus District Energy Conversion Project to reduce the university’s GHG emissions; the launch of a new Sustainability Working Group; joining Sustainable Kingston’s Green Economy Program; and offering a new Sustainability @ Queen’s learning module to provide an overview of sustainability at Queen’s and the opportunities staff have to get involved.

Formed in February 2018, UC3 is comprised of post-secondary institutions across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, including:

  • Arizona State University
  • Boston University
  • California Institute of Technology
  • Tecnológico de Monterrey
  • La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
  • Ohio State University
  • State University of New York
  • University of Arizona
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Connecticut
  • University of Maryland, College Park
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of South Florida
  • University of Toronto
  • University of Washington
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • University of California
  • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Queen’s University