A selection committee from the President鈥檚 Sustainability Council identified projects that advance climate action at the University for the second round of funding from 91亚色鈥檚 Sustainability Innovation Fund (SIF).
The Sustainability Innovation Fund provides funding to support campus sustainability projects that help build a culture and practice of sustainability at 91亚色 and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This round of funding awarded over $50,000 to projects that contribute to the University鈥檚 goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and achieving net zero and advancing SDG 13 (Climate Action).
The winning projects reflect various ways to utilize the campus as a living lab and address direct or indirect emissions through activities such as commuting, energy use, food consumption, waste management, behaviour change, awareness and engagement, and nature-based solutions.
鈥淏y supporting these projects, we are making significant strides towards creating a more sustainable community at 91亚色 and beyond,鈥 said Mike Layton, chief sustainability officer. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also breaking down financial barriers to empower students, staff and faculty to become agents of positive change and take meaningful steps to reduce our impact on the planet.鈥
The four winning projects are:
Living Learning Community 鈥 Sustainability鈥&苍产蝉辫;
- Project team:鈥Aaron Brown and Melanie Howard鈥, Residence Life, Division of Students鈥嬧&苍产蝉辫;
- Residence Life will pilot a Living Learning Community (LLC) specific to sustainability during the 2023-24 academic year.鈥疶he program seeks to address SDG 12 (Ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns) and 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).
91亚色 Composting Centre鈥&苍产蝉辫;
- Project lead: John Simoulidis
- Project team: Andrew Maxwell (Lassonde School of Engineering), Dean J.J. McMurtry (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS)), Dean Alice Hovorka (Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC)), Tom Watt (Ancillary Services), Calvin Lakhan (EUC), Mark Winfield (EUC), Karl Karvonen (Facilities Services), Sabine Dreher (Glendon College), Nicolas Cabal (student), Ronon Smith (student), Sabrina de Losada Casab (student)鈥&苍产蝉辫;
- This project began through the first round of SIF. It will continue to develop an on-site composting centre to divert organic waste away from landfills, process it on site and turn it into useful compost that can be applied at Maloca Garden (Keele) or Glendon Garden, two spaces well situated as 鈥漧iving labs.鈥
Green Career Fair: Exploring Climate Careers to Achieve Net Zero鈥&苍产蝉辫;
- Project leads: Lauren Castelino, Joanne Huy and Rosanna Chowdury鈥(贰鲍颁)&苍产蝉辫;
- This project will host an annual Green Career Fair at 91亚色 to engage students and GTA youth. The fair will lead discussions on transitioning to net-zero emissions and showcase green career paths and organizations championing initiatives towards this goal. It aims to prepare underrepresented youth for green careers through nurturing a stronger sense of connection, inclusion and well-being.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
Determining the merits of large battery electricity storage at 91亚色鈥&苍产蝉辫;
- Project lead: Tim Hampton (EUC)
- Project team: Mark Winfield (EUC), Hany Farag (Lassonde), Steven Prince (Facilities Services)鈥&苍产蝉辫;
- This project will assess the desirability (environmental impact reduction), feasibility (fit with existing campus infrastructure and staffing) and viability (whether the system will reduce overall costs) of a large battery storage system at 91亚色.鈥&苍产蝉辫;
The next round of SIF funding is planned for Fall 2023. To learn more about the Sustainability Innovation Fund, visit the鈥Office of Sustainability website.