Sustainability Policy & Guidelines

Last Updated February 24^th, 2011

The Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) recognizes the need to abide by sustainable and ethical policies in the everyday running of the Society as well as in long term planning and organization.

The purpose of the Sustainability Policy is to actively promote the MUS as a sustainable and ethical Society. 

1. Responsibility for Sustainability
   1. The Vice President of Internal Affairs shall be responsible for enforcing the guidelines set forth in the Sustainability Policy
   2. The Vice President of Internal Affairs shall be responsible for spearheading sustainability initiatives within the MUS or the Desautels Faculty of Management
   3. All MUS members shall be expected to abide by the Sustainability Policy
   4. Where possible, MUS shall refer to the Sustainable and Ethical Practice and Purchasing Guidelines (SEPP) as a blueprint for improving sustainability within the MUS
      1. A copy of the SEPP shall be given to all MUS Recognized Clubs, available for consultation at all times in the MUS office, and publically available via the MUS website
2. Role within the Desautels Faculty of Management
   1. The MUS will actively promote the principles of ecological, economic, and social sustainability with the Desautels Faculty of Management, including, but not limited to:
      1. Championing student-initiated sustainability projects to Desautels administration
      2. Working with the Desautels administration to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and to responsibly manage our waste
      3. Working with the Desautels administration toward the integration of sustainability issues into existing curricula in all programs
3. Role within MUS Events and Services
   1. The MUS will creatively implement organization and operational changes toward become a model for sustainability at McGill, including, but not limited to:
      1. Regularly monitoring the environmental impact of all MUS events and services
      2. Minimizing unnecessary energy use and material consumption, and striving to make ethical procurements
      3. Supporting and encouraging events and initiatives that inform and promote the knowledge, skills, and values of a sustainable society in the Faculty
4. Sustainability Audit
   1. At the end of each winter semester, the Vice President of Internal Affairs shall initiate and supervise a sustainability audit for the MUS, including MUS groups
   2. The MUS sustainability audit shall include, but not be limited to:
      1. An evaluation of paper consumption
      2. Recycling and composting practices
      3. Sustainable transport and carbon offsetting practices
   3. The results of this sustainability audit shall be published in the Annual Report issued by the MUS

Sustainable and Ethical Practice And Purchasing Guidelines (SEPP)

The purpose of the SEPP guidelines is to actively promote on a practical and ideological level the vision of the MUS as a sustainable and ethical Society. The following guidelines are meant to apply to the entire Society, including MUS Groups. 

1. Office Management and Administration
   1. The MUS should provide space for various recycling bins in its offices, including, namely, bins for batteries and printer cartridges
   2. Office lights, computers and other electrical devices should be turned off when unused
   3. All printing of administrative documents should be printed or photocopied double-sided or on pre-used one-sided paper
2. Event Organization and Promotion
   1. When organizing events, the MUS should use the “Greening Events Guide” published by the SSMU as a blueprint for reducing the events’ ecological impact, with emphasis, namely, on eliminating single use items such as plastic cutlery and dishes, paper napkins and individually packaged items
   2. A copy of the abovementioned “Greening Events Guide” should be available for consultation at all times at the MUS office
   3. The MUS should make extensive use of the internet for promotion and event registration
   4. The MUS should ensure that any promotional material it produces or endorses does not perpetuate gender stereotypes or carry discriminatory messages of any kind
   5. When organizing events, the MUS should strive to use only reusable cutlery, plates, glasses or dishes such as those provided by the McGill Plate Club
   6. Vegetarian food should be offered at all MUS events or meetings where food is served. Furthermore, a reasonable selection of non-alcoholic beverages should be offered at all MUS events where alcohol is served
   7. The MUS should ensure that rooms or outdoor grounds be properly cleaned after all events
   8. The MUS should support and encourage events and initiatives promoting cultural diversity in the Faculty
   9. The MUS should support and encourage events and initiatives that inform and promote the knowledge, skills, and values of a sustainable society in the Faculty
3. Transportation
   1. A reasonable effort will be made so that all MUS events should be held at locations easily accessible by public transport
   2. The MUS should strive to actively encourage the use of public transport as well as the practice of carpooling within its membership
   3. All trips to conferences or other long-distance transportation organized by the MUS should use a collective means of transportation, such as bus or train
   4. The practice of carbon offsetting should be considered for all events requiring long distance transportation
   5. The MUS should strive to actively encourage alternative means of transport such as bicycling, and should inform its membership about such alternative means, such as bicycle paths available in Montreal
4. Health and Well-Being
   1. The MUS should seek to raise consciousness within its membership of services promoting good health and well-being available on campus
   2. Where alcohol is served during social events sponsored or endorsed by the MUS, such as MUS Orientation, the MUS will actively encourage those who consume alcohol to do so responsibly
5. Ethical Purchasing Policy
   1. The MUS should not conduct business of any kind with companies that:
      1. Fail to meet any standards for labour that are generally accepted and/or filed in a policy of an internationally recognized standards organization such as the International Labour Organization standard
      2. Inflict excessive or unnecessary suffering upon animals by the procedures to which they are subjected
   2. Where practicable, the MUS should strive to actively identify and establish business relationships with companies that:
      1. Voluntarily adhere to standards of employee care in excess of statutory requirements;
      2. Effectively implement and monitor equal opportunity policies covering race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and religion
      3. Effectively enforce policies against discrimination or harassment on grounds of race, gender, religion, disability or sexual orientation
      4. Voluntarily adhere to efficient environmentally sustainable practices
6. Sustainable Purchasing Policy
   1. The MUS should, where practicable, seek to purchase products carrying an ecological certification
   2. The MUS should, where practicable, attempt to purchase organic foods which carry organic certification
   3. The MUS should, where practicable, seek products that are fair-trade
   4. A reasonable effort should be made so that the MUS should use solely local products emanating from local farms or companies within the province of Quebec
   5. The MUS should avoid packaged products, particularly plastic wrappings
   6. The MUS should, where practicable, avoid purchasing any products using Styrofoam
   7. Regarding office supplies, the MUS should seek to purchase in bulk orders. Furthermore, all paper purchases of any kind should be of 100% recycled or post-consumer paper