Independent Study on Changing Student Behaviour to Increase Energy Sustainability and Efficiency at the Macdonald Campus of McGill University

Abstract

This paper explores social perception towards energy consumption on Macdonald campus, as seen by different subsections of the Macdonald community: undergraduate, graduate, faculty and staff. A total of 118 community members were randomly surveyed via a semi-structured questionnaire. Main findings of our research suggested that, as a whole, community members believe Macdonald Campus to be a relatively energy-efficient place. However, results indicated a discrepancy between students and faculty/staff in terms of their perception of energy efficiency on campus. Furthermore, there was broad agreement regarding the inaccessibility of information on energy use on campus, suggesting that this was a primary leverage point to enact social change. Various initiatives are presented, aimed towards increasing information accessibility. With a planned implementation date of Fall 2012, these initiatives are expected to have a significant impact on environmental awareness, ultimately decreasing energy use on campus and reducing its’ environmental impact.