Okanagan College
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan

In April of 2009 the Okanagan College Sustainability Team prepared a Short Term Action Plan for Sustainable Change. This led to a list of 26 short term goals as well as 5 longer term Strategic Goals: • To sign the Talloires Declaration • To join AASHE and adopt STARS as a benchmark • To ensure that sustainability was incorporated in the Strategic Plan • To develop an administrative structure to advance sustainability • To embark on a more comprehensive sustainability plan We have achieved virtually all of the short term goals as well as the 5 long term goals. Our first STARS Submission in 2011 then formed the basis for the longer term plan which we are now working on. With the input of the Steering Committee and their charges, a number of sustainability targets have been identified in each of the 7 key areas.

Sustainability Engagement: • Expand Formal Sustainability Training For Students • Develop Employee Sustainability Educators Program – deliver through Connections • Develop Structured regular reporting – Inside Okanagan Curriculum: • Increase Number of Courses with sustainability content Operations: • Reduce energy consumption • Reduce Carbon Emissions • Include renewable energy in all future projects Purchasing: • Reduce paper consumption • Source more local goods • Reduce Fleet Emissions Planning and Administration: • Ratify long term sustainability policy/plan with appropriate budget • Add sustainability award to Staff Excellence program Diversity and Affordability: • Develop Program to build more Diverse faculty Community Involvement: • Develop Employee Sustainability Educators Program – deliver through Connections • Expand Golden day of Service – Volunteer Program

While some of our targets are unique to Okanagan College, most of these goals can be measured using the STARS reporting system - which provides an clear, concise report card on our progress.