University of Ottawa
IN-26: Innovation C

The University of Ottawa has taken a holistic approach to the creation of a clean air community. The Initiative is composed of several activities that together have helped create a framework for how the University of Ottawa wants to approach a healthy environment for its students and staff. The programs touch on the physical aspects of the campus, the operations and ongoing activities on campus, and the financial or social barriers present on campus. The initiative includes the following program: - Reducing emissions (not just CO2 but NOx and SOx emissions) from the power plant. The power plant is the single largest source of air pollution on campus and by fuel switching, adding scrubbers, and increasing efficiency, we have been able to reduce those emissions. - Reducing emissions from fleet vehicles by switching to electric vehicles, introducing a private bicycle fleet for employees, and eliminating vehicle use in the heart of the campus. Vehicle emissions represent the greatest source of smog to pedestrians and so reducing emissions and moving them further away from vehicles will improve the quality of the air they breathe. - Offering sustainable transportation solutions to staff and students to reduce emissions related to commuting (U-Pass, bike share program, ride sharing, etc...) and moving parking lots to the periphery of the campus will will incentivize the activities and behaviours that we want to see and disincentivize the behaviours that can be harmful to the rest of the community. In 2015 , the University of Ottawa was recognized by the Province of Ontario for our Clean Air Community program. The initiative has become sodified in the new campus master plan as a means of addressing the health and well-being of the community.

This credit is being submitted under the innovation criteria "Multiple activities or practices whose sum is innovative can be considered for an innovation credit as long as those activities or practices are related. Listing a series of unrelated accomplishments or events under a single innovation credit is not accepted."