| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 92.73 |
| Liaison | Emmanuelle Jodoin |
| Submission Date | Oct. 24, 2022 |
Université de Sherbrooke
IN-18: Green Event Certification
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Chantal
Couture Director General Building Services |
Does the institution have or participate in a green event certification program?:
Has the institution held one or more certified events in the previous year?:
Does the institution’s green event certification program address the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| Sustainable transportation options, teleconferencing options, and/or carbon offsets | Yes |
| Sustainable catering (e.g., sourcing local and third party certified food and beverages, providing vegetarian/vegan options, using reusable/compostable materials) | Yes |
| Paper consumption (e.g., minimization and recycled/FSC certified content) | Yes |
| Energy efficiency (e.g., equipment and lighting) | Yes |
| Waste minimization and diversion | Yes |
| Communications and/or signage about the sustainable practices | Yes |
A brief description of the institution’s green event certification program:
Aware of the challenges of sustainable development and wishing to remain the Quebec reference in this area, the Université de Sherbrooke has chosen to incorporate the concept of sustainable development in all areas of its activities. The University was one of the first institutions to certify its eco-responsible events in the past with the BNQ standard.
In 2021, the Université de Sherbrooke obtained a Scène écoresponsable — niveau argent [EN: Eco-responsible stage — silver level] certification for its cultural centre. This certification is awarded by the Réseau des femmes en environnement [EN: Network of Women in Environment] and the Conseil québécois des événements écoresponsables [EN: Quebec Council for Eco-friendly Events] and is a way for the University to participate in a Green Event Certification Program.
This certification rewards various eco-responsible actions carried out during events at the cultural centre. Due to the COVID-19, many events were held online. However, the return to on-campus activities has allowed events to be held in the cultural centre again. For example, on April 12, 2022, a presentation of short films as part of an event organized by the Festival du cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke [EN: Sherbrooke World Film Festival] in collaboration with Arrière-Cours [EN: Backyards] (https://www.centrecultureludes.ca/series/arriere-cours/) took place at the cultural centre. The expectations of the university’s awarded certification were met.
The various actions and initiatives undertaken by the Université de Sherbrooke in order to obtain this certification address several sustainable development issues, including transportation, catering, paper consumption, energy efficiency, single-use plastics, waste management, and eco-responsibility sensitization.
Regarding sustainable transportation, several actions are planned during the events, such as:
- Promoting public transportation (shuttles)
- Reducing the cost of bus tickets by covering part of the expenses
- Promoting electric vehicle charging stations
Several actions have also been taken concerning food containers, namely the use of reusable dishes, glasses, and cutlery as well as the banning of plastic straws.
To reduce paper consumption, printing parameters are controlled to limit the use of paper as much as possible, and reusing is favoured for display material. Also, the paper used is made of post-consumer fibre.
The reduction of energy related to lighting in the rooms is also part of the actions that meet the certification, and all incandescent lighting were replaced with LED technology.
Single-use water bottles are also banned from events, whether for artists, employees, or the public.
During the events taking place at the cultural centre, the residual materials generated are reduced at the source or recuperated with measures such as:
- Providing clients with hand dryers or towels to limit the use of paper
- Donating or reselling outdated decor, technical equipment, or costumes after each show
- Recuperating materials such as wood and metal to create new decor
Finally, the Université de Sherbrooke’s website has been modified to include a section on its commitment to eco-responsibility in various activity sectors.
Since 2014, the University has also made available to campus event organizers an institutional eco-responsibility guide. Its objective is to provide measures to be respected when preparing and carrying out events so that they are in line with the university’s eco-responsibility standards. https://www.usherbrooke.ca/developpement-durable/fileadmin/sites/developpement-durable/documents/Sur_nos_campus/Guide_institutionnel_ecoresponsabilite.pdf
Website URL where information about the green event certification program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
For more details about the Eco-responsible stage certification:
https://evenementecoresponsable.com/scene/
https://evenementecoresponsable.com/scene/accreditation/
https://evenementecoresponsable.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Liste_actions_SER.pdf
For more details about the Eco-responsible stage certification:
https://evenementecoresponsable.com/scene/
https://evenementecoresponsable.com/scene/accreditation/
https://evenementecoresponsable.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Liste_actions_SER.pdf
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.