Energy and climate change
NSCC’s commitments to education and training in Nova Scotia come with a high energy intensity and large carbon footprint.
Energy and climate change
Much of NSCC’s infrastructure originates from the 1960s and 1970s. This presents a prime opportunity for innovation within NSCC’s built environment. As we modernize our facilities, we must move forward with technologies that both reduce our energy consumption and change the type of energy we use. Strategies such as energy efficiency, fuel switching, support for sustainable transportation, and production of green electricity are all vital components of net-zero facility operations.
By aligning future projects with our climate change goals, NSCC can meet its emissions reduction targets while also meeting operational requirements. This year, our greenhouse gas emissions were down 40% from our 2008 baseline year, putting us on track to meet our goal of a 60% reduction by 2030.
Goals for 2022/23
- Implement NSCC's Climate Change Action Plan.
- Double the number of EV charging stations at NSCC Campuses from 14 to 28
Recap of 2021/22
- Transitioned to biomass heating at COGS and Lunenburg Campus.
Figure: Nova Scotia Community College’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions performance from 2009 to 2022 in Metric tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent.
Indirect emissions
When considering our impact on our environment, we must look beyond the direct impact of our Campuses. We are accountable not only for the emissions generated by energy used by our buildings and vehicles, but also for emissions generated by our staff and students while attending or working at the College. One source of indirect emissions is commuting. Due to the rural nature of much of the province, we estimate that our staff and students commute thousands of kilometers every day.
NSCC’s eCampus plays a part in NSCC’s work to reduce emissions. Currently, there are more than 1200 NSCC students enrolled through eCampus, who do not need to drive to a campus for their studies. If we assume that these students eliminate the need for a 50km commute three times a week, they could reduce NSCC’s indirect emissions by over 1000 tons a year. With the addition of NSCC’s new student housing projects, 350 more students will now live at their campus of study, further reducing the College’s indirect emissions.
Climate Change Action Plan
Ensuring that the workforce of the future is informed and equipped with the proper tools to combat climate change is a critical part of NSCC’s mandate. With 14 campuses across the province teaching a variety of programs, from agriculture to information technology, NSCC covers a much broader geographic and educational range than other institutions. This coverage presents us with the opportunity to communicate the message of sustainability to a wide and diverse audience. We have embraced this opportunity and are committed to being leaders in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change in our communities.
The NSCC Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) outlines a pathway for our institution to make a significant impact on the sustainable development of our province as we work with our communities to address climate change. The CCAP builds upon the foundation of already established College plans, policies and procedures and was formed after consultation with the NSCC community and review of existing climate strategies from other post-secondary institutions.
The content of the Action Plan focuses on three key themes: Mitigation, Adaptation, and Education. Each theme contains several goals tailored to the unique nature of our institution. Together, our goals and supporting actions have the potential to build upon existing NSCC capacity to create a culture of innovation and continuous improvement that will inspire the workforce of tomorrow.
Climate Change Action Plan targets
- 2026: Electric vehicle chargers at all campuses
- 2030: NSCC Fleet is 30% electric vehicles
- 2030: 60% Reduction from baseline in greenhouse gas emissions
- 2040: 80% Reduction from baseline in greenhouse gas emissions
- 2050: Net Zero emissions for NSCC
Fuel switching
As NSCC continues our transition to net-zero operations, we have completed several major projects to decarbonize our Campuses this year, including commissioning a new biomass heating plant at the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS), and connecting our Lunenburg Campus to a district heating plant, also fueled by biomass. This reduces the College’s reliance on fossil fuels to meet our heating demands and lowers our overall carbon footprint. The Facilities and Engineering department is actively working on developing new projects to further reduce our use of fossil fuels before 2030.
Bi-Directional Electric Vehicle Charging Station at Annapolis Valley Campus
Pie Chart of Fuel Sources