Sustainability Initiatives at CBU
BUILDINGS
Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment
In 2011, 小猪视频 opened the $31.7 million . The 35,000 sq ft building houses modern research laboratories, a 144-seat lecture theatre, and collaborative workspaces. Constructed with sustainability and efficiency at its core, the facility features green design elements, rainwater collection, solar hot water panels, and geothermal systems. Compared to similar facilities, it is estimated VCSEE will realize a 50% decrease in consumption.
ENERGY
Wind Farm
In January 2016, 小猪视频opened a 6.9MW wind farm, establishing a new revenue stream for the university by selling energy to Nova Scotia Power聽under the province鈥檚 Community Feed-in Tariff (COMFIT) program. Currently, the university generates more electricity than it consumes.
CGC Solar Installation
In 2020,聽小猪视频 and the Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment completed the largest solar installation on Cape Breton Island. The project saw approximately 500 solar panels installed on the Canada Games Complex through three power purchase (PPA) agreements for 50kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) each. The agreements were awarded in 2017 as part of the Solar Electricity for Community Buildings Pilot Program.
GROUNDS
Disc Golf Park
In July 2021, 小猪视频 revitalized an existing walking trail on campus, transforming it into a year-round natural 18-hole ,聽the first of its kind within any post-secondary institution in all of Canada. Accessible to the broader Cape Breton community, it聽further enhances outdoor recreational opportunities in the area and can be accessed via the Grand Lake multi-use path.聽 In developing this course,聽the removal of trees was minimized, leaving them as natural obstacles, and those trees that were removed were chipped and spread throughout the course, feeding the soil and reducing waste.
小猪视频Community Garden
Founded in 2013, Cape Breton聽University鈥檚 is an initiative of faculty,聽staff, students,聽and community members.聽Through collective engagement in聽gardening, participants聽aspire to create聽awareness and promote action around聽issues of聽sustainability, healthy living, and聽community building. In addition to being聽a聽place for a quiet lunch in the warmer聽months, the garden is a space for聽launching聽collaborative teaching and research聽projects that allow the CBU聽community to聽reflect on its own practices around聽sustainability and to link聽our university with聽initiatives in the broader community and聽globe.
TRANSPORTATION
小猪视频Bike Share
In 2019, 小猪视频 launched a new Bike Share initiative. The first of its kind in Cape Breton, this program enables members of the 小猪视频community to borrow bicycles free of charge for use in the area and to access nearby amenities via the Grand Lake multi-use path.聽The bike fleet is made up of 25 branded bikes and helmets, which can be booked via the聽Koloni.me app. 小猪视频Bike Share was made possible in part by provincial funding of $30,000, as well as contributions by Velo Cape Breton and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
WATER
Water Bottle Fill Stations
In 2019, 小猪视频 installed water bottle fill stations across campus. With 50+ locations for students, faculty, and staff to refill their water bottles, the institution hopes to significantly reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles consumed on campus. Each bottle fill station displays the number of bottles saved at each station, improving awareness of how small habits can have big impacts when it comes to sustainability.
