For a ninth time, the University of Northern British Columbia been named one of "Canada’s Greenest Employers."
The title was bestowed by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and follows on a designation by the same source earlier this year as one of B.C.'s top employer/s
“At UNBC, sustainability is at the heart of our teaching and research objectives and is central to the day-to-day operations at our campuses,” UNBC Interim President Dr. Geoff Payne said. “As Canada’s Green University we are proud to once again be among Canada’s Greenest Employers as our faculty, staff and students lead by example to create a healthier world for everyone.”
Canada’s Greenest Employers judges recognized UNBC’s environmental initiatives including providing three electric car-charging stations. Electric car users are only required to pay the standard parking fee to access the chargers.
The university also offers secure, covered, bike storage as well as shower facilities and lockers for cyclists.
Ongoing lighting upgrades at the Prince George campus include the replacement of old fluorescent lights with energy-efficient LEDs. Improved controls take advantage of motion sensing, daylight harvesting, zone control, and dimming to reduce electricity use and improve usability.
UNBC is one of seven universities included on the list this year and is the only employer in northern B.C.
Organized annually by Mediacorp, the awards recognize 85 Canadian employers.
The selection criteria include: the unique environmental initiatives or programs employers have developed; whether employers have been successful in reducing their environmental footprint; whether their employees are involved in these programs and contribute unique skills; and whether their environmental initiatives have become linked to the employer’s public identity to attract new people to the organization.
