University of Alberta
PAE-24: Sustainability Policy Advocacy

Through presentations to provincial governments, participation in national-level working groups of the Canadian Association of University Business Officers and talks at conferences, our Facilities and Operations team is seeking to influence changes in policy to support the acceptability of a broader range of green certification schemes related to building construction and renovations. We also participate in: the Campus Alberta Initiative, the City of Edmonton's Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Canadian Alliance of College and University Sustainability Professionals both provincially and nationally (CUSP). ALBERTA CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL COMMUNITIES http://www.augustana.ualberta.ca/research/centres/acsrc The Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities (ACSRC) is a joint initiative of Augustana Campus and the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences. ACSRC links the research, outreach and educational capacity of the University of Alberta with students, researchers, rural communities, rural community organizations and policy makers at multiple levels across the province, nationally, and internationally in order to support the improved sustainability of rural communities and populations. Among ACSRC's goals is to stimulate and support innovative education in rural community development, sustainability and policy. CITY OF CAMROSE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN http://www.camrose.ca/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1586 The City of Camrose embarked upon a unique relationship with the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta to collaboratively develop a Municipal Sustainability Plan. The plan was written in five major sections, each representing the 5 pillars of sustainability: economy, governance, ecology, culture and society. One of the benefits of this unique partnership is the ability to utilize the eager and exuberant student body at the university in some of the process of developing the plan. Involving the faculty, staff and student body in the process of community outreach facilitated reaching a broader base of individuals in the community. ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF CANADA http://www.aucc.ca The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) is a not for profit national organization representing Canada's colleges and universities. AUCC, in cooperation with, and on behalf of its members, advocates to provincial and federal governments the value of higher education and strives to increase awareness of the contributions that Canada's universities make to the Canadian economy and society . AUCC members, including the presidents of all Canadian universities, also have opportunities to discuss a wide range of issues through plenary sessions. In 2013-14 topics ranged from institutional sustainability to strategies for alternative revenue generation to reducing high-risk drinking among post-secondary students to AUCC advocacy strategies for the 2014 and 2015 federal budgets. U15 GROUP OF CANADIAN RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES http://u15.ca The U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities was established in 1991 to advocate on behalf of, and with its members, to provincial and federal governments, for the value of university research and the need for sustainable government research and development funding programs. With the support of both U15 and AUCC, the Presidents of UBC and UAlberta promoted a proposal for a new research funding stream that would enable Canada’s research institutions to advance in areas of proven or emerging areas of excellence, to compete internationally for new talent, to expand world-class international partnerships, and increase knowledge translation. In February 2014, the Government of Canada announced funding for the establishment of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. This new fund will receive $1.5 billion over the next decade to ensure global excellence in Canada’s post-secondary research sector. GLOBAL NETWORK OF RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES In 2014, the U15 joined the Global Network of Research Universities, a group which includes the Association of American Universities, the League of European Research Universities, The Russell Group, the China 9 grouping of leading Chinese universities, and the Australian Group of Eight research-intensive universities. The Global Network promotes research collaboration among its members and also strives to be the voice for research universities, advocating on an international scale for the role that we play in addressing and solving global challenges.