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Generations Pact 

By Karen Herland

Last year, when a handful of Concordia students invited their peers to commit one penny per credit to making the university a more sustainable environment, they hoped they would not only succeed, but that they would convince other university campuses to join them.

In addition to raising funds on campus, the Generations Pact project seeks matching funding from the provincial government for sustainable changes on campuses across Quebec.

This week the Generations Pact campaign goes provincial with a tour of 10 Quebec campuses. Spokespeople like Equiterre’s Steven Guilbeault, astrophysicist Hubert Reeves, author Laure Waridel and, on April 3 at Concordia University, David Suzuki, are all on board.

Since receiving their funding in November, Concordia’s Sustainability Action Fund has supported a number of student initiatives. According to director Mohamed Shuriye, the fund has supported printing on post-consumer recycled paper for the Art Matters Festival Program and an anthology of students’ creative work.

The Greenhouse Project and Right to Move have received staff funding. The Generations Pact events, the Sustainable Business Conference and the People’s Potato summer workshop series received funds. Finally, equipment to reduce energy use was purchased for R4 projects, Reggie’s Student Pub and the Concordia Student Union.

The series of conferences culminates this evening at a gala at the Biosphere. In addition to all eight Generations Pact spokespeople, representatives from seven university administrations (Concordia, Université de Sherbrooke, Université Laval, ETS, Université de Rimouski, Université de Montréal and Bishop’s) will sign the Pact.

Line Beauchamp, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, will be on hand. It is hoped that she will announce a financial commitment on the part of the provincial government.

Communications officer for the campaign, Gabriel Bran Lopez, said that a matching donation for money raised already at McGill and Concordia would be just shy of $200,000 (three-quarters of which was raised at Concordia). They are also hoping for funds to help other Quebec universities perform sustainability audits.