Nova Scotia Community College
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Th Future of Work is an area defined as a Priority Area of Impact in NSCC's Strategic Plan "Our time is now". The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), proliferation of automation, a growing skills gap, virtual workplaces and the pandemic are all factors shaping the future of work. This acceleration has forced higher education into a new reality; a landscape that includes emerging virtual
technologies, new online learning opportunities, more program choices, and higher student expectations as the world and nature of work quickly evolves.

Further, the pandemic has also precipitated lasting changes when it comes to work. According to Bain & Company, 58% of workers across 10 major economies feel the pandemic has forced them to rethink the balance between their work and their personal lives.

Nova Scotia is experiencing these trends in real time. The impact of the digitization of global workplaces has resulted in a large influx of ex-pats and new residents, who are thriving professionally while seeking greater quality of life within Nova Scotia’s rural landscapes. As well, technology is proving to be a great equalizer in helping our equity-seeking communities access higher education and achieve stronger participation in the labour market.

A selection of specific goals that NSCC is working on in this areas as outlined in our Strategic Plan "Our time is now" have been listed below:

Educate and empower a diverse skilled workforce to help Nova Scotia compete in a quickly changing, post-pandemic global economy.

Ensuring the rapid development and delivery of quality programming in a flexible and accessible manner to help fill the skills gap and meet the needs of our
changing economy. Defining the future of work at NSCC through an agile workforce planning framework that is responsive to current and future business operations, and a leadership framework that develops and supports human centric leaders.

Modernizing NSCC’s foundational technology infrastructure to allow for the expansion of learning technologies, greater work flexibility and improved
security.

Evolving Social Fabric is one of the major values in NSCC's Strategic Plan "Our time is now". We know that community is not a static concept or state. Geographically defined communities across the province grapple with changing demographics, housing and infrastructure challenges, seizing economic opportunities, etc.
Equity seeking communities often face racism, bigotry, exclusion and worse. Our traditional gathering places have vastly changed – service clubs, Tim Hortons’ breakfast chats and strawberry suppers have reinvented themselves as virtual communities, resulting in the unintentional gatekeeping of those without digital fluency. We have witnessed what happens when there is a lack of a shared feeling of community: polarization, feelings of exclusion and “otherness”, fear and mistrust. Nova Scotia’s communities – and the well-being of the individuals in them – are a priority for NSCC.
We learned through the past few years of upheaval that a sense of community and belonging can support resilience and buffer us from the effects of a crisis. Belonging to a community, whether defined geographically, culturally, through shared interest or other is a key factor in wellness. In short, community matters. NSCC must demonstrate its ability to shape the future of our communities, not just respond to them.
We need to think differently about our place in community by expanding beyond our teaching and research functions, establishing ourselves as a leader in building a resilient social infrastructure by enhancing our organizational investments in community relationships, initiatives and structures that effectively contribute to a vibrant and sustainable province.

A selection of specific goals that NSCC is working on in this areas as outlined in our Strategic Plan "Our time is now" have been listed below:
-Propel and foster the success of our communities through impactful relationships and innovative social infrastructure
-Leading as a community-based, anchor institution and vibrant focal point, to lead conversations and co-develop solutions with our partners for critical social and economic issues facing Nova Scotia.
-Accelerating our position as changemakers by mobilizing and strengthening our leadership role in the business and innovation ecosystems and public policy priorities of our communities.
-Leveraging College and campus assets and resources to maximize learning, development and innovation for individuals and businesses in our communities.

NSCC has set sustainability goals for our operations in the areas of energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and waste disposal. Progress towards these goals are tracked and published every year in our annual sustainability report. Below are some of our long term goals and objectives:
- Reduce energy consumption by 50% by 2050 compared to levels in 2008/09
-Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030, 80% by 2040, and achieve net-zero operations by 2050 (compared to levels in 2008/09)
-Reduce water consumption by 55% by 2050 compared with levels in 2008/09
-Maintain a waste diversion rate of 65% for each campus.
Sustainability is one of the College's core values and is listed in our Strategic Plan (see attached). We set goals for sustainability in our formal, published annual sustainability report (https://sustainabilityreport.nscc.ca/sustainabilityreport202122/). Each category in the report lists goals for our sustainability operations goals.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Anti-Racism is an area defined as a Priority Area of Impact in NSCC's Strategic Plan "Our time is now". We are committed to creating a culture of genuine inclusion that is free from discrimination and harassment and where our students, employees and the communities we serve are treated with fairness, dignity and respect. We are intentional in our efforts to build diversity as a core strength. We recognize diversity of knowledge, worldview and experience as an asset and a key driver of success in advancing innovation, creativity and excellence. NSCC strives to ensure educational equity and inclusion across all student supports and services.

A selection of specific goals that NSCC is working on in this area as outlined in our Strategic Plan "Here and Now" have been listed below:
-Grow and sustain a culture of excellence in equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism that centres first-voice experience and promotes a just society for all through systemic transformational change.
-Challenging the status quo to dismantle systemic racism and all forms of oppression by enhancing a culture of transparency and accountability to become “more comfortable with the uncomfortable” in pursuit of equity.
-Continuing to build a more diverse and accessible learning and working environment for all by ensuring equity, safety, respect, dignity and inclusion are firmly rooted as the heart and soul of the College.
-Diversify the workforce of tomorrow through the delivery of equity-centered
programming designed for internal and external communities, partners
and employers to build inclusive, antiracist working and learning spaces that
promote belonging for all.

We commit to the continuous development of the social, economic, cultural and environmental sustainability of the College and our communities.

The integration of environmental health, social equity and economic vitality in order to create thriving, healthy, diverse and resilient communities for this generation and generations to come.

Definition based on work from UCLA: https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/what-is-sustainability/#:~:text=In%20the%20charter%20for%20the,generation%20and%20generations%20to%20come.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals developed by the United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint to achieve a more sustainable future for everyone. The Goals were proposed as the main objective of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to tackle some of the world’s most complex and pressing issues such as poverty, gender equality and climate change. The Goals have had a substantial global impact, with 193 UN member states adopting the Agenda.

NSCC has made our own commitment to the Goals. In January of 2021, NSCC became one of the first institutions in Canada to sign the SDG Accord. Which represents the College’s commitment to do more to deliver the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As one of the first Canadian institutions to sign the Accord, NSCC will lead other institutions as a positive example of innovation and partnerships. This year, NSCC’s Student Association's Presidents and our International Student Ambassadors followed suit and signed the SDG Accord.

https://www.sdgaccord.org/