Toronto Metropolitan University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Contemporary social and environmental challenges demand coordinated responses that facilitate sustainable and equitable futures, and the health of life-supporting ecosystems. The program in Environment and Urban Sustainability is designed for students who are passionate about social and environmental issues and eager to learn about, envision, and develop innovative responses to challenges facing urban centres and surrounding interconnected resource-based communities locally and globally. Students learn to evaluate effects of development on urban settlements and to assess and facilitate conservation and the development of sustainable responses. The program integrates the social sciences, natural sciences, and applied disciplines as related to environmental and sustainability issues. Is the environment your passion? Understanding and managing our environment are among the defining challenges of today’s world. Governments at local, regional, provincial and national levels seek to research, understand and manage environmental issues. Companies of all types are incorporating environmental compliance into their management systems. Many citizens’ and other non-governmental organizations are active in seeking environmental change. Consultants provide the specialized skills to support them all. It is into this dynamic arena that you will move as a student in the Environment and Urban Sustainability program at Ryerson.

Communities are complex entities with their own needs, structures and rules — and planners are the ones who guide their operation and promote their growth. Drawing on their understanding of land-use concepts and strategies, planners create and implement plans to develop and enhance regional, urban, suburban and rural communities. Ryerson graduates advise on planning decisions related to social, economic, cultural, land-development, transportation, resource and development, environmental and heritage issues.

The Minor in Environment and Urban Sustainability (EUS) is offered to students to provide an understanding of sustainability issues as they relate to both the human and natural environments. The Minor will give students the ability to grasp complex issues in a world of finite resources and to learn how to think about solutions and possibilities of creating sustainable actions in our environments. Analytical skills, critical thinking, confident decision making, and solution oriented results are the mainstay of the minor. The EUS Minor will enable students from varied disciplines to explore important challenges facing humanity, whether it is in the areas of environmental ethics, green businesses, greener cities, environmental decision making, or similar. The Minor will help students prepare for professional careers in their own area of study and for application to graduate programs.

Become a leader to enhance sustainability best practices at your organization. Respond to new opportunities in sustainable development. Maximize your impact by deploying and executing sustainability principles and using Lean Six Sigma continuous improvement tools and techniques. Learn how to: promote sustainability and sustainable development prioritize, deploy, and implement best practices with proven techniques execute vital strategic plans with SMART goals address the complex global sustainability related challenges gain long-term value for your corporation by incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria into your investment decision engage stakeholders and build trust through open, transparent, and reliable outreach, communications, and engagement become a corporate social responsibility (CSR) advocate and sustainability professional Generate personal, organizational, and social transformation that results in: reduced waste and carbon footprint eco-efficiency innovation-driven business models, capturing value across business units and products engaged communities sustainable investment competitive advantage in global markets (increase sales and top line growth) improved transactional capabilities and reduced costs through more efficient process (reduce cost and bottom line growth) Approach decision-making, planning, and action by integrating the economic, social, and environmental components that comprise the triple bottom line (TBL or 3BL) of sustainability.

Contribute to energy management, conservation, sustainability, and public policy in a dynamic and exciting sector. Help implement solutions and manage energy assets by responding to advances in energy conservation, energy public policy, smart grid, and green technologies. Designed in collaboration with Ryerson University’s Centre for Urban Energy (CUE), this certificate will help you develop skills in energy innovation and entrepreneurship, and meet the challenges and opportunities in creating new energy technologies and business enterprises.