| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.59 |
| Liaison | Beverley Ayeni |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
University of Toronto Mississauga
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Samantha
Diiorio Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Management and Planning |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
The City of Mississauga is currently updating their Community Green Development Standards, where UTM has been involved in the consultation process.
Additionally, the City of Mississauga is conducting a 5-year review of their Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), which UTM had consulted on before it launched in late 2019. The City has prioritized youth engagement in the mid-way review of the Plan, which UTM students and student-staff have participated in, and even offered to chair one of the meetings.
Lastly, the City worked on a micro-mobility project to determine the feasibility of e-bikes and e-scooters within the City. UTM’s Sustainability Office participated in meetings and voiced support for this program and advocated to be part of the pilot program.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
UTM representatives are extremely closely involved with the Ontario Association of Physical Plant administrators (OAPPA) and sit on both the OAPPA directors committee and OAPPA energy committee. UTM also works closely with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) at OAPPA, as well as other stakeholders in the province.
The Council of Ontario Universities has a person who serves as a liaison between OAPPA and various provincial government ministries (Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks, etc.) These ministries consult with OAPPA to get input on policies prior to implementation. UTM has advocated - via OAPPA - for the creation of a Clean Energy Credit registry and for universities to be eligible to participate in Ontario's Clean Energy Credits program, a program that will promote investment in incremental clean energy, enable organizations to pursue their own emissions reduction goals at a faster pace, and lower electricity costs for grid consumers.
Additionally, via the Ontario College University Sustainability Professionals (OCUSP) network, UTM has been working with the province regarding new recycling reporting requirements administrated through the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority.
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
The U7+ Alliance founded by French President Emmanuel Macron who hosted the G7 Summit in 2019, is a unique partnership that brings together 50+ leading universities in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa to tackle the most pressing global challenges of the day. At the inaugural U7+ Alliance summit, the presidents of member universities collectively made commitments on 5 key topics for the future of universities around the world, under the general baseline “The inherent responsibility of being a world-class university today.” One of the topics is Principle 3: Climate and Energy Transitions, or more broadly, addressing environmental and sustainability issues.
In 2019, University of Toronto president Meric Gertler met with other university leaders as part of the U7+ Alliance, a group that was established by France as a way to dig deeper into the issues to be discussed by world leaders at the upcoming G7 summit. Leaders from the U7+ universities committed to addressing collectively five pressing international issues: the role of universities in a global world; climate change and energy transition; inequality in societies; technological transformations; and community engagement and impact.
With regards to Principle 3, the U7+ recognizes that universities have a major role to play in addressing environmental issues and challenges to sustainability such as climate change, biodiversity, and energy transition. This includes leading by example on the respective campuses of U7+ members. The participating universities in Principle 3 have committed to work together on two specific actions:
Action 1 (access to sustainability courses) is co-championed by U of T, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), and the University of Edinburgh (UoE),
Action 2 (GHG emissions reduction and energy efficiency) is co-championed by UoE and U of T.
As the UK hosted the G7 Summit in Cornwall with a priority on tackling climate change and preserving biodiversity in June 2021, and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow in November 2021, the U7+ steering committee has selected sustainability and climate change as the theme for the 2021 U7+ Presidential Summit in October 2021. This was done with the goal of making it an opportunity to articulate and develop a clearer message about the role of universities in contributing to such global challenges and align with the ongoing work and discussions of the G7 and at COP26.
U of T’s U7+ activities are led by the Office of the Vice-President, International, supported by CECCS. As co-champions of both Action 1 and 2, CECCS co-led two workshops in 2021.
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.