Blog Contributor: Jasper Fisher

Hello, my name is Jasper, and I worked in the ESRC under the Charter Agreement with Facilities Management for the summer of 2019! While currently an undergraduate student studying Neuroscience and Gender Studies, sustainability has always been an area of personal interest of mine. Working in the Centre was a very rewarding experience for me; being able to apply my academic skills to address a topic of personal interest proved to be a very valuable learning experience that I will take with me through my academic career.

One of the most memorable experiences that I had during my time with the ESRC was working with our team to update the Sustainability Policy. It was important to me that the concept of sustainability refer to the environment, culture, and socioeconomics.

The most widely adopted explanation of sustainability, first claimed by the Brundtland Report, defines it as, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland, 1987). I like how this definition emphasizes the need to balance present and future needs and development. As a major public institution, Brock has a responsibility to contribute to this balance on its larger scale.

Implementing this definition of sustainability on an institutional level is important for taking true actionable steps towards fighting climate change, which I am proud of having had a hand in doing during my time with the ESRC at Brock. Through all the projects I’ve aided in completing during my work term, I believe that the expanded concept of sustainability in the sustainability policy was the most valuable contribution that I made.