At Laurier, we track our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by participating in the Waterloo Regional Sustainability Initiative (WRSI), a voluntary program of the local non-profit Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR). Laurier became a Bronze Pledging Partner of the WRSI in 2012 by setting a public GHG reduction target of 25% below a 2009 baseline year (intensity-based target GHG/f2). At the end of 2016 we exceeded our target by achieving a 34.8% GHG reduction (tonnes of CO2 equivalent / square footage).

As a Bronze Pledging Partner of the WRSI, Laurier publicly reports its annual emissions from the following sources:

• natural gas combustion (related to heating our buildings and water)
• fleet fuel combustion
• electricity consumption (related to lighting, electrical equipment loads, heating and cooling of campus buildings)
• air travel
• waste
• water

In recent years, following the construction of Lazaridis Hall and a subsequent increase in our building square footage, we’ve seen an increase in our GHG emissions. Therefore, in 2019, we renewed our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint by setting a new pledge with WRSI in 2018 to commit to reducing our emissions by 25% between the years of 2018-2028. Our ultimate goal is to achieve net zero on all our campuses by 2050.

To achieve these ambitious goals, Laurier is developing a Carbon Reduction Roadmap and Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan. These documents will outline our strategy for achieving significant emissions reduction that will be needed in order to meet our goals. They will be published during the fall semester of 2019.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a third-party, green certification system that encourages innovative strategies that minimize the quantity of resources and materials used during construction, as well as water and energy in new and existing buildings. LEED takes the following topics into consideration:

• sustainable sites
• water efficiency
• energy and atmosphere
• materials and resources
• indoor environmental quality
• innovation and design

Laurier has two certified LEED buildings, the Research and Academic Centre (RAC) in Brantford (LEED Silver) and Lazaridis Hall in Waterloo (LEED Gold).

Laurier Energy Efficiency Project

Laurier Energy Efficiency Project (LEEP) is a comprehensive, multi-phase initiative to transform Laurier’s building portfolio into a leading example of sustainable management. It includes the installation of rooftop solar panels, battery storage and a fully functioning micro grid. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2020.

Measureable Progress

• More than 15,000 conventional lights have been upgraded to LEDs.
• Two solar walls have been installed at the Library and Bricker Residence.
• 550 kW of solar power were brought online at the end of 2018.
• Over 1,300 low flow water fixtures have been installed across both campuses.
• 6MW of battery storage was installed and will be operational at the end of 2019.