| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.92 |
| Liaison | Mat Thijssen |
| Submission Date | Oct. 26, 2021 |
University of Waterloo
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Mat
Thijssen Sustainability Manager Sustainability Office |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
SDSN Canada is part of a global SDSN movement to build a network of universities, research centers, civil society organizations, and knowledge institutions. With over 700 participating institutions worldwide, SDSN members work together to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
As a host of the SDSN Canadian network, the University of Waterloo will use its position as home to Canada’s largest Faculty of Environment to share knowledge, activate research and help solve the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world. The SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society, thus opening up exciting new opportunities of collaboration for Waterloo.
In collaboration with participating universities and partners, SDSN Canada will:
o Build an on-going pan-Canadian network of post-secondary institutions, civil society, and others, to facilitate learning and accelerate problem solving for sustainable development
o Link Canadian experts to the global SDSN and to global discussions on a universal agenda for sustainable development
o Organize national/sub-national sustainable development meetings bringing together key actors to identify and promote regional solutions initiatives
o Foster debate on sustainable development within Canadian academia and society more broadly
o Conduct action-oriented research that helps Canada adopt and implement policies and practices that provide international leadership in sustainability
o Develop and continually improve educational programming for sustainable development
https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainable-development-solutions-network-canada/
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Shift: Neutral is Waterloo’s first institutional climate action plan. It lays out short, medium, and long-term carbon reductions for the university, and outlines a roadmap of actions to mobilize the campus through these goals. Its implementation will have transformative impacts for campus energy consumption, building designs, and campus quality, and be a key part of our sustainability efforts. Uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/shiftneutral
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Energy
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
The University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment is the oldest of its kind in Canada, and one of the largest and most programmatically diverse in Canada. The Faculty offers numerous programs of study deeply rooted in sustainability, including for example: Geography, the Environment, Resources, and Sustainability program across graduate and undergraduate levels, and the Environment and Business programs. It has pioneered innovative programming such as Canada’s first Master of Climate Change, and it collaborates with other faculties at Waterloo on interdisciplinary education programs such as the Collaborative Water Program. The faculty has also created and supported multiple interdisciplinary research institutes, including the Waterloo Institution for Sustainable Energy, Water Institute, Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change, and Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics. Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment has catalyzed major partnerships across Canada, including with civil society and the private sector. For example, it has spawned critical research partnerships within the insurance industry to better prepare Canadian homeowners, businesses, and communities for climate change adaptation.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Research
Public Engagement
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
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.