Concordia University
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

The Sustainability Action Plan, launched in 2019-2020, includes a long-term vision as well as five-year plans around five stream topics: Food, Waste, Climate, Research, and Curriculum.

Sustainability in Research Plan
4.1 Develop a framework to support interdisciplinary sustainability
research at Concordia
4.2 Increase financial and operational support for faculty and students
engaged in sustainability research
4.3 Promote and enhance Concordia research to enrich local, Canadian,
and International communities
4.4 Monitor and reduce the ecological footprint of research,
dissemination, and related activities conducted on and off campus
See: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/action-plan/2020-2025/research.html

Sustainability in Curriculum Plan
5.1 Develop and deliver supports within the administration and delivery
of the curriculum
5.2 Achieve a 20% threshold of sustainability-related courses
5.3 Increase the number of programs available to students that have a
sustainability learning outcome
See: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/action-plan/2020-2025/curriculum.html

Sustainable Food Systems Plan
1.8 Create an environment where community members can learn about food, from seed to plate, and offer students hands-on learning opportunities through projects that improve the campus food system
1.6 Reduce food waste and contribute to food security in our community
See: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/action-plan/2020-2025/food-systems.html

Climate Action Plan
3.2 Reduce Concordia’s emissions from buildings by 25% compared to
2014-2015
3.4 Increase electric transport infrastructure (vehicles and parking) to 10%
of total infrastructure
3.9 Develop comprehensive plan for offsetting our Scope 3 (indirect)
greenhouse gas emissions
See: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/action-plan/2020-2025/climate.html

Zero Waste Plan
2.1 Nudge waste reduction and diversion performance beyond best practices
and foster an innovative, curriculum and research-integrated program
2.2 Continue to support and expand reuse initiatives and create
procurement policies & procedures favoring waste reduction and reuse
2.3 Bring waste performance to a competitive level, based on comparison
with top-performing universities, by continuing to implement best practices initiatives
See: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/action-plan/2020-2025/zero-waste.html

Sustainable Food Systems Plan
1.1 Increase sourcing of local / sustainable foods to 50% of total
purchases in the summer and fall and 40% in the winter and spring.
1.2 Ensure that environmental and social sustainability is factored into all
tenders/agreements/contracts concerning the food system
1.5 Reduce animal product (meat, poultry, fish/seafood, eggs, dairy)
purchases to 30% of the total food budget
See: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/action-plan/2020-2025/food-systems.html

Climate Action Plan
3.6 End all investments in the coal, oil and gas sectors for the Concordia
University Foundation (CUF)
3.7 Achieve 100% sustainable investments for the CUF
3.8 Achieve 10% in social or environmental impact investments for the
CUF
3.10 Increase Concordia’s resilience in the context of a changing climate
See: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/action-plan/2020-2025/climate.html

Sustainable Food Systems Plan
1.3 Recognize and reinforce the role of urban agriculture in advancing
hands on learning, placemaking, and beneficial social impacts
1.4 Support the adoption of healthy, plant-based, allergen-free, and culturally inclusive food choices on campus
See: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/action-plan/2020-2025/food-systems.html

Sustainability Policy BD-7
See: https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/common/docs/policies/official-policies/BD-7.pdf
The Sustainability Policy was officially adopted by our Board of Directors in 2016.

Sustainability at Concordia is a mindset and a process that leads to reducing our ecological footprint and enhancing social well-being while maintaining economic viability both on and off campus.

This process of sustainability is developed through a governance system based on shared vision and responsibility that fulfills Concordia’s current needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

To be sustainable in our decisions and activities is to take a long-term perspective, recognize resource capacities and balance the interconnected nature of our environment, society and economy.

Concordia joined nine other Quebec universities in declaring a climate emergency and signed on to Second Nature's Carbon Commitment in 2019.
See: https://www.concordia.ca/news/stories/2019/09/24/ten-quebec-universities-unite-to-declare-climate-emergency.html

Concordia signed the Talloires Declaration in 1995.
https://talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/concordia-university-canada/

To signal its commitment, the university signed the University Global Compact, a declaration that enlists postsecondary institutions in the work of delivering on the SDGs. Concordia is also joining Sustainable Development Solutions Network Canada.
https://www.concordia.ca/news/stories/2020/10/08/concordia-joins-the-decade-of-action-with-its-commitment-to-the-un-sustainable-development-goals.html

To accelerate solutions for the world’s biggest challenges — from poverty and inequality to climate change and resource depletion — the United Nations has declared 2020 to 2030 a worldwide Decade of Action to meet its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Concordia is officially joining the effort.
https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/sustainability-initiatives/sdg/summary-of-sdg-commitment.html

Concordia University is a signatory of the Race To Zero initiative. Alongside businesses, cities, regions, investors, and other universities, Concordia joins 120 countries in the largest ever alliance committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest. Collectively these actors now cover nearly 25% global CO2 emissions and over 50% GDP.
https://www.sdgaccord.org/race-to-zero-for-universities-and-colleges

The Concordia University Foundation committed to 100% sustainable investments by 2025.
https://www.concordia.ca/news/stories/2019/11/08/concordia-university-foundation-to-divest-and-aim-for-100-percent-sustainable-investments-by-2025.html

When Concordia adopted its nine strategic directions in 2015, sustainability was a minor theme in the strategic dimensions document and the strategic directions game plan.
https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/concordia/docs/strategic-directions/game-plan.pdf
https://www.concordia.ca/about/strategic-directions/plans.html

Now, Concordia has listed sustainability as one of the eight major initiatives through which we are advancing our strategic directions (see web page).
https://www.concordia.ca/about/strategic-directions.html