Sustainability

RGD Sustainable Studio Program

RGD invites creative studios to minimize their carbon footprint by participating in RGD’s Sustainable Studio Program. Studios of varying sizes can carbon offset the energy produced by the studio through the partnership between LivClean and RGD Ontario. And by agreeing to adopt additional steps that will reduce your office energy consumption and contribute to a healthier planet.

What are Carbon Offsets?
Offsets are benefits from environmental projects that reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases and help us reach the goal of sustainable living. They work in different ways but they can avoid, reduce and eliminate gases that result from energy use. When you participate in RGD’s Sustainable Studio Program, you are essentially neutralizing the greenhouse gases that your studio energy use creates.

Carbon offsets can be an extremely effective way to zero out the carbon produced as a result of running a business. However, we recognize that carbon offsets do not replace initiatives to reduce one’s individual carbon footprint. It is our hope and expectation that in addition to purchasing these carbon offsets, adopting firms will do their utmost to be as environmentally responsible as possible and will sign a contract acknowledging the efforts they intend to make in this regard.

Who is LivClean?
LivClean is a Canadian organization with a global reach devoted to offering quality carbon offset products and solutions to both individuals and businesses. LivClean is 100% Canadian and independent from any local utility or government. In 2009, The David Suzuki Foundation ranked in among the top 8 high-quality vendors of carbon offsets in Canada.

What are the benefits of participating?
In addition to feeling good about your contributions to sustainability, as a participant in this program, you may include the program logo on their websites, will be recognized on the RGD website, and will receive a printed certificate acknowledging your annual participation.

How do I sign up?
Pricing structure (per annum)

For more info and to sign up, please email michelle@rgdontario.com or call 1.888.274.3668.

RGD Board enacts Environmental Paper Policy

The RGD Board has voted to adopt a sustainable environmental paper procurement policy for the Association, drafted by RGD Ontario’s Sustainability Committee. This policy identifies guiding principles, as well as tangible steps, that RGD Ontario staff can undertake to minimize our carbon footprint and negative impact on the environment.

We now have a document that outlines our commitment to environmental leadership that ensures our activities are undertaken in the most sustainable way possible.” Explains Sustainability Chair Bernard Hellen R.G.D. “This is achieved through a specific set of goals and actions that we can take as an Association to minimize waste and use paper appropriately.

This new policy is available for download and review at www.rgdontario.com/pdf/RGD_EnvironmentalPolicy.pdf

Over the next 6 months, RGD Ontario will be further developing the policy to cover other marketing activities such as printing and signage production, and developing a policy that members can use for themselves and also provide to their clients.

If you have any comments or thoughts, please email Bernard at eco@rgdontario.com.

RGD endorses DIAC Sustainable Design Charter

At the November 19, 2008, meeting of the RGD Ontario Board of Directors, the Board voted to endorse the Sustainable Design Charter created by the Design Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC).

The Executive Board of the DIAC developed the Charter to highlight the critical role that designers play in reducing environmental impacts. Each of the professional design associations in Ontario has been asked to endorse it on behalf of their members. DIAC plans to promote the Charter through its ongoing series of cross-disciplinary Design Green seminars, and through other Design for Sustainability initiatives.

It is as follows:


DIAC SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CHARTER
Members of the Design Industry Advisory Committee will:

1. Raise awareness of the critical role that designers play in creating a Sustainable Ontario.

• Encourage policy-makers to acknowledge the potential of design to reduce negative environmental impacts.
• Play a leadership role in furthering sustainability initiatives in local communities.
• Champion the early and continuous involvement of designers in public sector sustainability action plans.

2. Model the principles and best practices of sustainability in professional practice and in design education.

• Enable design association members to demonstrate sustainability best practices within the design studio.
• Teach the principles and values of sustainability to association members, other design colleagues, and students.
• Communicate success stories and promote the value of sustainable design.

3. Empower Ontario's design workforce to help all clients reduce negative environmental impacts.

• Promote the business case and social value of sustainable design practices on all projects.
• Help designers to enable their clients to develop and implement strategies to minimize environmental impacts in products & services, process, communications and the workplace environment.
• Encourage the client world to progress from incremental to systemic change in integrating sustainability into all activities and organizational design.

4. Develop Design for Sustainability research initiatives with DIAC colleagues in partnership with industry, government and education.

• Work with DIAC board members to develop and articulate next generation strategies for sustainable design.
• Educate and inform public and private sector stakeholders on the benefits of taking a sustainable design approach.
• Champion further change, and encourage the engagement of qualified professional designers in the public realm.