Royal Roads University sets net-zero goal for 2050

Royal Roads University has pledged to make its campus net-zero by 2050, as it embraces climate action as the core of the university’s purpose and business.

The university unveiled its path to a new greener future on Thursday with the unveiling of its Climate Action Plan for the next five years.

Other initiatives include the introduction of nature-based Living Lab programs to engage the community, and the creation of a new Climate Action Hub as a physical and digital information centre.

“We know the climate emergency poses an extreme threat to every facet of our global society,” said Philip Steenkamp, Royal Roads University president.

“The level of this challenge is unlike any humanity has faced. It’s a social, environmental, health and economic threat, and there’s no time to waste.”

He pledged that the university will drastically reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions by incorporating climate change and climate solutions wherever it can. The plan would see the campus achieving its net-zero goal incrementally, with a 65 per cent reduction by 2025 and 80 per cent by 2030.

The university says it will embed climate at the heart of the learning experience, noting it already has a number of related programs to help its students become climate leaders, such as its bachelor of business administration in innovation and sustainability, master of arts in disaster and emergency management, and master of arts in climate action leadership.

“Universities have not only a mandate but also a much larger role to play in moving the dial on climate action through education, research and outreach,” said Dr. Robin Cox, director of the Resilience by Design Research Lab at the university, an applied research centre with a focus on resiliency and capacity-building in a changing climate.

The ambitious five-year plan sees the university forging alliances and working with other groups and networks — including Indigenous communities — in a quest to lead provincial, national and international efforts on climate action.

“We have an opportunity to not just speak about leadership but to demonstrate leadership and to demonstrate what is possible through our actions,” said Cox.