This award, presented by Fairtrade Canada during the National Fair Trade Conference, marks 91亚色鈥檚 first time receiving the honour. The recognition builds on the University鈥檚 Silver Fair Trade Campus designation which it has held over the past two years and reflects its sustained leadership in embedding fair trade principles into everyday campus life.

91亚色 was recognized for its 鈥淔air Trade, Every Day鈥� approach, which has expanded the availability of fair trade-certified products across the University. As a result, tens of thousands of products are purchased each year, increasing access for the campus community while supporting ethical supply chains.

Fair trade-certified products 鈥� such as chocolate, coffee, tea and bananas 鈥� are available at various YU Eats locations including Stong College, Winters College, Central Square (Keele Campus) and Glendon Campus. The initiative also extends to apparel, with the 91亚色 Bookstore offering certified fair-trade T-shirts and hoodies through a partnership with Green Campus Co-op, a student- and faculty-founded organization established in 2011.

The award also acknowledges 91亚色鈥檚 broader leadership role in the sector. By hosting the National Fair Trade Conference in 2025 and maintaining an active presence in national conversations about fair trade in higher education, 91亚色 has become a hub for learning and collaboration.

91亚色 staff are frequently called on to share expertise on advancing fair trade in higher education. Sasa Netsorovic, director, Bookstore, printing and mailing services at 91亚色, recently shared insights on how campuses can translate fair trade values through procurement decisions, community partnerships and student engagement, drawing on 91亚色鈥檚 鈥淔air Trade, Every Day鈥� approach.

Nicole Arsenault, director of sustainability, says the award 鈥渞eflects years of dedicated work by students, faculty and staff who have championed fair trade and embedded it into campus culture.鈥�

These efforts, she adds, support the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals.

With national recognition as Fair Trade Campus of the Year, 91亚色 continues to demonstrate how institutional commitment and community-driven action can create meaningful change.

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Tracking Earth鈥檚 ecological limits over more than six decades, the latest figures shared by the University鈥檚 Ecological Footprint Initiative show human activity now requires the equivalent of 1.7 Earths each year to sustain current levels of consumption.

Eric Miller is director of 91亚色鈥檚 Ecological Footprint Initiative 鈥� a multidisciplinary group of scholars, students and organizations working to advance understanding of the world鈥檚 ecological footprint and biocapacity. He warns that data reflects a 70 per cent overshoot of the planet鈥檚 renewable capacity. 

The figures, released on Earth Day, include what researchers describe as the most comprehensive open-access dataset to date that measures human impact on the planet. Produced in partnership with the University of Iceland, the ecological footprint dataset spans 1961- 2025 and measures the land and sea area needed to produce food, fibres and resources people use, and to absorb associated waste, including carbon emissions.

The dataset was developed through an innovative sustainability training program at the International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab, a multi-partner research initiative that brings together faculty and graduate students from 91亚色 and the University of Iceland. The program trains students to work with large environmental datasets while advancing research into ecological footprint and biocapacity. 

Along with Miller, 91亚色-based co-authors include master of environmental studies (MES) alums Kiona Lo and Neha Basnet as well as MES students Bumika Srikanthalingam, Beatrice Foley and Anna Hao Long. Co-authors from the University of Iceland include Johanna Louise Van Berkum, Petra Toneva, Marina Ermina and Clara Klinkenberg. 

Anchor funding for this work was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through a $2.5-million Talent-Stream Partnership Grant.

While the data suggest the rapid rise in global ecological pressure seen in recent decades may be slowing, there is still no clear evidence of a sustained decline.

鈥淔or the world to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, humanity must reduce its total ecological footprint by at least 59 per cent over the next 25 years,鈥� says Miller, who teaches in the . 鈥淭his metric goes beyond carbon 鈥� it reflects a broader scale of human demand on nature.鈥�

Looking closer to home, researchers note that Canada is rich in natural resources compared with other countries. Although Canadians only make up about 0.5 per cent of the global population, the country holds about four per cent of the planet鈥檚 biocapacity 鈥� the ability of Earth鈥檚 ecosystems to renew resources such as wood, food and clean water. 

Despite this advantage, Canada ranks eighth globally for per-capita consumption. In 2025, each Canadian used an average of 6.6 global hectares, roughly four times what would be sustainable at a planetary scale, and about double the per-person footprint of countries such as China or the U.K., notes Lo. Only the U.S. recorded a higher level.

鈥淐anada has a biocapacity advantage, but it is under pressure because of our large ecological footprint,鈥� says Lo. 鈥淐anada鈥檚 footprint is limiting opportunities for people elsewhere in the world to live well.鈥� 

Trade is also central to Canada鈥檚 ecological impact. In 2025, Canada drew on 3.1 per cent of the planet鈥檚 renewable capacity to produce and export resource-intensive food and forest products. Each dollar of Canadian exports required roughly twice the natural resources of each dollar of imports. 

About 60 per cent of Canada鈥檚 domestic ecological footprint was tied to goods produced for consumption in other countries. Globally, more than 30 per cent of what the world produced in 2025 was traded internationally 鈥� more than double the share recorded in 1961. 

鈥淐anadians consume a lot, but the footprint associated with what we produce and export is even larger,鈥� says Miller. 鈥淯nlike countries whose ecological footprints are driven mainly by imports, Canada is a net exporter and ranks 10th globally on that basis.鈥� 

He adds the national datasets can be used to examine biocapacity and ecological footprint at regional and municipal levels, and the initiative is expanding access to local data to support decision-making. 

鈥淲e are working to create more local, open-access data that leaders and policymakers can use,鈥� says Peri Dworatzek, partnership coordinator at the International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab. 鈥淭he goal is to empower countries, cities and individuals to better understand their impacts and identify where to go next.鈥� 

The initiative has launched the first open-access ecological footprint dataset for all Ontario municipalities. 

The ecological footprint and biocapacity framework is widely used by governments and organizations worldwide, including World Wildlife Fund, which has incorporated the metrics into public tools and awareness campaigns. 

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Thienpont teaches , a first-year course focused on Earth鈥檚 weather systems and the drivers of past and current climatic change. Through the course's learning lab activities, students conduct climate modelling to assess how human influence may contribute to different climate scenarios 鈥� and how those scenarios could impact biodiversity.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 critical to understand the nuances of how the planet is going to change in the not-too-distant future as a result of anthropogenic activities, so I try to expose them to what is under the hood of computer models,鈥� says Thienpont, noting each course iteration operates about five lab sections for a total of about 200 students.

To forecast how global warming will manifest by 2100, Thienpont鈥檚 students use the same sophisticated computer modelling as climate scientists, which draws on the laws of physics (conservation of mass, energy, momentum), fluid dynamics and chemistry and considers variables such as temperature, wind and humidity.

Using five CO₂ emissions scenarios from the United Nations鈥� Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, students examine outcomes for each scenario, ranging from aggressive emissions cuts to high fossil fuel use. This data is used to analyze resulting risks, such as heatwaves, sea-level rise and species extinction.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good way of taking things that are fairly theoretical and putting them into a real-world perspective,鈥� Thienpont says. 鈥淪tudents see just how variable the climate really is 鈥� if we can manage our emission activities to the point where we鈥檙e getting closer to more conservative scenarios, then the outcomes are much less drastic.鈥�

In another lab assignment, Thienpont asks students to consider how climate change might impact them directly by examining how a warming planet may affect one of the world鈥檚 most popular agricultural products: arabica coffee.

The bean grows best in a cool, stable tropical climate at a moderate to high altitude and needs plenty of rain and light shade. Global warming is causing dry spells and irregular rainfall, which diminishes the yield and quality of Arabica crops. Farmers must keep planting further upslope 鈥� but mountains only go so high.

Thienpont鈥檚 students map how the land suitable for growing the beans could shift under diverse climate scenarios in countries such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Honduras and Nicaragua.

鈥淭hey learn how some of these countries, where coffee is one of their main domestic exports, have quite small land areas for cultivation, and that land size is expected to keep shrinking 鈥� in some cases significantly,鈥� Thienpont says. 鈥淚t demonstrates that the impacts of climate change are global. Everyone who enjoys a cup of coffee in the morning may feel this outcome.鈥�

Thienpont says a nuanced understanding of climate change processes, outcomes and human influence helps prepare students for a range of science-related careers.

鈥淭he goal is to give them information that they鈥檒l be able to use, whether they go on to do further scientific exploration or work in environmental policy or city planning,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey have a foundational understanding of the broad-scale environmental processes that impact us.鈥�

With files from Sharon Aschaiek

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The annual Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers list recognizes organizations across Canada that demonstrate a strong culture of environmental awareness, embedding sustainability efforts throughout their institutional DNA.

For 14 consecutive years, adjudicators have selected 91亚色 for its successful and proactive leadership in reducing environmental impact across teaching, research and campus operations.

鈥�91亚色 is proud to be recognized once again as one of Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers,鈥� says Narin Kishinchandani, vice-president, finance and administration. 鈥淭his continued designation reflects the work taking place across the University and our deep institutional focus on climate action initiatives.鈥�

The reasons 91亚色 was again named one of Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers this year were: campus projects that have been supported by the鈥疭ustainability Innovation Fund to advance climate action; the Faculty of Science鈥檚 ongoing development of a Sustainable Labs certification program that will ensure eco-friendly practices amongst lab teams; and reduction of infrastructure footprints through solar air heating, green roofs, solar panels, rainwater collection and more.

Adjudicators also highlighted the鈥�Office of Sustainability鈥痑nd Human Resources鈥� sustainability orientation module for employees, the鈥�檚 sustainable campus walking tours and the University鈥檚 support of the鈥�Sustainability Champions Network, a peer mentoring program that fosters environmental action on campus.

These initiatives are part of a broader suite of institutional efforts. Among them is the ongoing commitment to the鈥�Sustainability Strategy 2030: Positive Change: Connecting People, Planet and Purpose鈥�which includes a focus on reducing direct and indirect emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. That work has supported 91亚色鈥檚 accelerated goal of鈥�achieving net-zero emissions by 2040鈥�� a full decade ahead of its original target.

Across its campuses, 91亚色 also continues to lead in environmental responsibility through efforts such as the upcoming annual鈥�痑苍诲鈥�.

The University鈥檚 inclusion on Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers adds to a growing list of accolades for 91亚色.

Last year, 91亚色 was designated a鈥�Living Campus by the World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) for the second year in a row. The designation recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate leadership in engaging their communities in conservation action and education.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 placed 91亚色 second in Canada for its contributions to Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production. 91亚色 was also recognized in the鈥� among the top academic institutions in the world for its impact with environmental leadership, education and research.

Nicole Arsenault, program director in the Office of Sustainability, says 91亚色鈥檚 continued recognition reflects a collective effort across the University.

鈥淪tudents, faculty, instructors and staff all play a critical role in advancing 91亚色鈥檚 sustainability goals,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hrough their engagement in teaching, research and campus operations, they help strengthen the University鈥檚 impact and support long-term progress on new and existing initiatives aimed at accelerating climate action.鈥�

As 91亚色 continues to advance its sustainability priorities through both new and ongoing programs, the University remains focused on building a more sustainable institution. That work spans infrastructure, academic leadership and community partnerships, with a shared goal of strengthening impact across its campuses, local communities and beyond.

鈥�Building a more sustainable institution 鈥� across our buildings, research, teaching and community partnerships 鈥� strengthens 91亚色鈥檚 leadership and delivers lasting benefits locally, nationally and globally,鈥� says Kishinchandani.

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Data centres 鈥� large industrial facilities that power cloud computing and AI 鈥� have become critical infrastructure supporting the world鈥檚 growing digitization. Everything from streaming video and online banking to scientific research and generative AI depends on their ability to store, process and move enormous volumes of data.

As demand for digital services continues to rise, these centres sit at the root of that growth. And, as they become more pervasive, conversations about broader implications are growing.

鈥淒ata centres are increasingly part of public debate because of concerns about energy use, environmental impact, local economic effects and data sovereignty in Canada,鈥� says Lyndsey Rolheiser, an assistant professor at the .

Despite the growing significance, there remains a notable gap in publicly available information about these facilities.

鈥淭here is very little systematic evidence to inform that discussion,鈥� says Alexander Carlo, a postdoctoral researcher at Schulich. 鈥淎t a basic level, we do not have a clear picture of where data centres are located in Canada or where new ones are being developed.鈥�

Rolheiser and Carlo set out to address that gap by creating the first comprehensive map of Canada鈥檚 data centre landscape. Their work, now and to be included in the forthcoming Schulich School of Business Real Assets Research Paper Series, documents both existing facilities and the growing pipeline of projects that have been announced or are under construction.

The authors built their analysis around a proprietary dataset from Aterio, a data intelligence firm that aggregates information on large鈥憇cale infrastructure projects. Using permitting records, utility filings and company disclosures, they tracked facilities from initial announcement through construction to full operation, then layered in census and provincial electricity data to assess location, scale and energy implications.

Once completed, they mapped out a much clearer picture of how Canada鈥檚 digital infrastructure is changing. The analysis shows that while Canada鈥檚 current data facilities footprint remains relatively modest, the pipeline of planned facilities is nearly 10 times larger 鈥� and those new centres are far bigger than older ones, reflecting a shift toward hyperscale infrastructure designed to support AI.

Future development is also highly concentrated: Alberta alone accounts for more than 90 per cent of planned capacity, despite relying on a comparatively high鈥慹missions electricity grid. At the same time, new facilities are increasingly being built far from major cities, often hundreds of kilometres from urban cores. Meanwhile, provinces with cleaner electricity systems, including Quebec, Ontario and B.C., have begun restricting or carefully managing grid access for large new data centres.

These patterns reflect a set of broader concerns the authors explore in the paper. Data centres consume enormous amounts of electricity 鈥� often equivalent to tens of thousands of households per facility 鈥� while creating relatively few long鈥憈erm jobs compared with the scale of public infrastructure they require. Their expansion can reshape provincial power systems, raise emissions concerns and crowd out other users. The authors also point to questions of data sovereignty, since most large facilities are owned by foreign firms and to the risk that some projects could become stranded assets if AI demand slows or climate policy tightens.

While Rolheiser and Carlo do point to these risks, the aim of the research is to ground future discussions in evidence. 鈥淭his is a necessary first step for any informed policy or public debate,鈥� Rolheiser says.

鈥淎t a minimum,鈥� Carlo adds, 鈥渢he paper should help clarify what the current landscape looks like and where development is taking place.鈥�

Both researchers hope their work contributes to more informed discussions about data centres in Canada, and provides a solid evidence base that helps policymakers and the public better understand these sites and their impacts on grid access, emissions and economic benefits.

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As cities around the world grapple with mounting waste crises, researchers at the 91亚色 Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) are exploring a critical but often overlooked question: who does the work of managing waste and under what conditions?

At 91亚色, this question is shaping an emerging area of interdisciplinary research that connects environmental change with labour, inequality and shared global priorities.

Research efforts led by Shubhra Gururani, a political ecologist, associate professor of anthropology and director of YCAR, examine how waste is a technical or environmental problem, but also a deeply political one, structured by histories of colonialism, race, caste and gender.

Waste is increasing at an unprecedented rate, expected to grow by around 80 per cent by 2050, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. 鈥淭he systems that manage that growth still often rely on precarious labour performed by socially marginalized groups, including migrants, women and caste-oppressed communities,鈥� says Gururani, who explores how these dynamics are embedded in broader processes of urban change and development. "This raises urgent questions about whether shifts to more environmentally sustainable systems may reproduce, rather than resolve, entrenched inequalities.鈥�

A key contributor is Harsha Anantharaman, a postdoctoral Asian studies fellow at YCAR who focuses on informal waste workers 鈥� those who make a living by collecting and recycling waste outside formal, regulated systems 鈥� in urban India.

Drawing on extensive ethnographic and archival research across four cities for an ongoing book project 鈥� To Caste Away Waste: Racialized Labour and the Political Economy of Commodity Detritus in Urban India 鈥� Anantharaman studies how policies aimed at formalizing waste work often have contradictory effects. 鈥淎s formalization policies reshape urban waste economies in India, the efforts to include marginalized groups can paradoxically deepen labour precarity and reproduce entrenched caste hierarchies,鈥� he says.

His research shows that initiatives framed as inclusive, such as bringing waste pickers into formal waste management systems, can make working conditions more insecure. As municipal waste becomes increasingly controlled by governments and corporations as a private resource, informal workers are incorporated into systems that offer recognition without security. These processes reproduce caste-based hierarchies, reshaping labour relations. Anantharaman describes this as informal labour being absorbed into systems while caste-coded recognition continues.

By situating these dynamics within global political economic transformations in urban governance and political economy, his work highlights both the structural constraints faced by workers and the potential for more equitable alternatives. His findings suggest models such as the formal recognition and integration of waste pickers into municipal systems, cooperative-led recycling initiatives and policies that ensure fair wages, social protections and decision-making power for frontline workers.

Through these efforts, Gururani and Anantharaman鈥檚 work can contribute to a growing international conversation on the global politics of waste. It brings into focus how environmental governance, labour regimes and social hierarchies intersect in ways that challenge dominant narratives as municipalities and corporations transition to green and sustainable efforts.

鈥淚t is critical to remain cognizant of the ways in which such transitions often rely on the invisibilized labour of marginalized communities and reproduce existing inequalities even as they claim ecological progress,鈥� says Anantharaman.

YCAR will continue this dialogue by hosting an international symposium in April titled . Organized by Gururani and Anantharaman, the two-day event will bring together scholars and practitioners working across regions, including South Asia, North Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.

While the symposium is a closed academic gathering, it will feature two public keynote lectures that are open to the wider community. These talks will extend YCAR鈥檚 ongoing engagement with questions of labour, inequality and environmental change, offering an opportunity for broader public dialogue on the stakes of global waste economies. The symposium also contributes to a forthcoming special issue of Environment and Planning D: Society and Space.

鈥淭hrough initiatives like this, YCAR continues to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement around some of the most pressing challenges of our time, highlighting how questions of waste are inseparable from questions of justice,鈥� says Gururani.

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Caleb Morgan is the second 91亚色 student accepted into the competitive international research internship at the National Institute of Informatics (NII) in Japan. The program offers graduate students the opportunity to conduct research at global partner institutions, enhancing international collaboration and research inquiry.

A final-year master鈥檚 of applied science candidate, Morgan will spend up to six months at NII working on AI systems that could accelerate the way scientists discover and design new tools, as well as inform real-world progress in AI applications for greener manufacturing, aerospace innovation and faster drug development.

Morgan will begin his internship in late March.

At NII, he will work under Associate Professor Mahito Sugiyama on knowledge graphs 鈥� a way of organizing information so AI models can understand individual data points and the relationships between them, much like the the relationship between list of names and a family tree.

Morgan shares an example of how this is applied in practice: in disease prediction, a knowledge graph allows a model to connect a patient's medical history to their location and a specific time period. This produces more accurate results than a model working from isolated data, says Morgan.

"If you throw data into a model without any knowledge graph, the model might learn about people and situations but not be able to relate them to each other," he says. "When we construct a knowledge graph, the model understands that this person was related to this event or this place, and that gives us a more generalized, more insightful output."

He will also work with transformer models 鈥� the same foundational architecture behind well-known AI tools like ChatGPT 鈥� to decode the language of chemical structures and materials. The goal refining AI systems to make reliable predictions even when data is scarce 鈥� a significant bottleneck in scientific research and engineering, notes Morgan.

NII's environment, he says, is what makes it the right place for this research. The institute draws researchers who develop novel AI architectures grounded in advanced mathematics 鈥� exactly the kind of computer science apporach he wants to bring back to engineering.

Morgan鈥檚 foundation for this field was cultivated at 91亚色. In the Lassonde-based Processing Structure Property Performance (PSSP) Lab, supervised by Associate Professor Solomon Boakye-Yiadom, he has been developing AI models to predict defects in metal 3D printing for high-entropy alloys 鈥� a newer class of metal blends engineered for extreme environments like aerospace and high-corrosion applications.

Representing atomic compositions as knowledge graphs has already improved prediction accuracy, he notes, and he has presented these findings at several conferences. This combined effort in research and knowledge sharing shaped his successful NII application.

Getting there took persistence, however. Morgan applied to the NII program once before and while he was not selected, he applied again with a sharper, more focused application 鈥� one that advocated for why an engineer should cross into computer science.

"I had to steer my application to say 鈥榊es, I'm an engineer, but I want to delve into computer science to develop architectures for my domain,鈥�" he says. "I was much more intentional about the second application."

Behind the scenes, 91亚色 International has been closely involved in his preparation, helping with documentation and accommodation planning in Tokyo 鈥� support Morgan says has made the process seamless.

Day-to-day at NII, his work will largely be behind a desk: writing code, reading papers and running experiments with datasets and models to test how well they can extract meaning from structured knowledge.

He will return to 91亚色 later this year with new collaborations, novel methods and a sharper way of thinking.

"I'm going to have the mindset of a computer scientist and keep my domain knowledge as an engineer and be able to merge them to do new things,鈥� he says.

For 91亚色 students eyeing similar opportunities, Morgan's path offers its own message.

"Be intentional, tailor your application," he says, "and don't be discouraged by rejection."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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How can retailers maintain the flow of goods during climate change-driven disruptions such as flooding, wildfires and severe storms?

Three MBA students earned top place at this year鈥檚 Sustainable Supply Chain Case Challenge for their practical, tech鈥慸riven strategy to address this challenge.

The question was at the core of the competition, which brings together graduate students from business schools across Canada to tackle a real-world sustainability case involving retail logistics.

Hosted by the George Weston Ltd. Centre for Sustainable Supply Chains at Schulich, the event requires teams to submit a written proposal and deliver a final live presentation to industry judges for cash prizes and recognition.

When Schulich student Abdel Rahman Elakrat heard about the challenge, he was eager to participate and learn more about the impact of climate and weather in real-life scenarios. He formed a group with friends and fellow MBA students Rabie Tarakji and Harinder Kumar, and they got to work on the case study, which asked participants to propose solutions for a hypothetical $30-billion grocery retailer seeking to strengthen its resilience during severe weather events.

The team 鈥� called Chain Reaction 鈥� began by examining how climate disruptions affect Canadian supply chains. They were surprised by what they discovered.

鈥淭he amount of money lost in the Canadian market every year due to extreme weather conditions was eye-opening,鈥� says Elakrat, noting that 2024 was the most expensive year in Canadian history for weather-related damages, at more than $8 billion. 鈥淚 had no idea it was that bad.鈥�

That insight helped the three students understand that climate volatility is no longer occasional 鈥� it is constant.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a temporary or once-in-a-while operating condition,鈥� says Tarakji. 鈥淲e realized that companies need to be predictive so they can accommodate unexpected turns.鈥�

Drawing on technologies already being piloted or used by companies such as Costco and Walmart, Chain Reaction developed a three-pronged resilience strategy that uses advanced digital tools to anticipate disruptions before they happen.

The first element was inspired by the way wildfires increasingly shut down highways and rail lines, leaving trucks stranded and store shelves empty. To address such scenarios, the team proposed a logistics 鈥渃ontrol tower鈥� system driven by AI that connects truck GPS data with live weather monitoring. The system would allow dispatchers to reroute shipments up to 48 hours before storms or fires block major transportation routes.

Their second strategy involved installing wireless IoT (Internet of Things) temperature sensors inside refrigerated trucks and cold-storage facilities. These sensors would constantly monitor conditions and immediately alert managers if temperatures rise, helping prevent food waste while reducing energy costs. The approach addresses the growing risk of extreme heat, which can cause refrigeration systems on delivery trucks to fail thereby spoiling meat and dairy before they reach stores.

Finally, recognizing that many disruptions originate deeper in the supply chain 鈥� such as droughts affecting farms supplying key ingredients 鈥� the students proposed a supplier-risk mapping software. The tool would track where products originate and flag climate risks early, allowing companies to secure alternative suppliers to get ahead of potential supply shortatges.

A key philosophy behind the team's proposal was practicality. Although the hypothetical case study company was a multibillion-dollar enterprise, the team wanted their approach to remain realistic, cost-effective and scalable.

鈥淚nstead of pitching really expensive physical infrastructure that would require billions of dollars and years to build, we went with something easy to implement and cost-effective,鈥� says Elakrat. 鈥淥ur solution was estimated at about $1.5 million 鈥� which is minuscule for a $30-billion business.鈥�

Chain Reaction submitted their proposal for the competition's first round and was selected to advance to the final round, where they presented their strategy to a panel of industry judges.

On the day of the finals, the team watching the other presentations while waiting for their turn. They were impressed by the quality of the competition but, aside from a few nerves, remained confident in their pitch. 鈥淲e have nothing to lose, so let鈥檚 just enjoy it,鈥� Elakrat recalls thinking.

Over the course of the project, the three students had independently tackled different parts of the project 鈥� market research, solutions and implementation 鈥� each of them becoming experts in their assigned area. They made time every day to meet for at least 30 minutes, forming a collaborative chemistry.

By the time they reached the finals, their presentation was polished and they were feeling confident.

Tarakji says that during the presentation, they "realized quickly that we were doing well and that we had a good flow.鈥�

Despite feeling positive after taking the stage, the students weren't expecting to take the top-place finish. When the second- and third-place teams were announced 鈥� and Chain Reaction鈥檚 name had not yet been called 鈥� they began to refelct on what a valuable experience the competition had been.

Then, Chain Reaction was announced as overall winner.

Afterwards, members of the judging panel offered feedback, and said their work stood out for being both innovative and practical 鈥� and as a solution that could be applied immediately to help companies navigate climate risks.

Beyond the recognition, the three students walked away with a valuable experience. The process of designing a strategy rooted in SDG鈥慺ocused practices showcased what is possible today, and how they can contribute to sustainability efforts in the workplace moving forward.

鈥淭he problems we were solving in these cases are the same challenges companies face today, and in the future, when we鈥檙e working in those companies, the solutions we developed now can help shift the dynamic there too,鈥� says Tarakji. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 exciting.鈥�

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CIFAL 91亚色 is expanding its work in climate innovation with a new focus on how AI can support real鈥憌orld solutions to some of the most pressing environmental challenges.

Since its establishment in 2020, CIFAL 91亚色, part of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) global network, has been at the forefront of climate change, disaster management and sustainable development. It offers innovative approaches to climate challenges, including training on emergency management, workshops on disaster risk reduction and programs that help local leaders prepare for both climate and health crises.

With the rapid evolution of emerging technologies showing great potential to support efforts in climate solutions, the centre is now expanding its mandate. 鈥淲e want CIFAL 91亚色 to be a leader in exploring the intersection of AI and climate change,鈥� says Ali Asgary, CIFAL director and professor of disaster and emergency management in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

Its first step toward that work is the launch of the Climate AI Innovation Hub, an initiative designed to explore how AI can support creative approaches to addressing climate challenges. Its goal, says Asgary, is to create a network for knowledge sharing, innovation and collaboration that can achieve real-world impact.

The hub鈥檚 first initiative 鈥� a monthly speaker series running until November 鈥� sprang from the idea of leading conversations that explore what is possible with AI.

鈥淭hese computational powers can help us understand and analyze changes in climate. Maybe they can even prevent them by allowing for proactive 鈥� more than reactive 鈥� approaches,鈥� says Maleknaz Nayebi, associate director of CIFAL and assistant professor in the . 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that there is one answer that can be given. For us, it鈥檚 about raising those questions. That鈥檚 how we came up with the speaker series.鈥�

The series will showcase, for example, how AI, IoT (the Internet of Things) and satellite technologies are being used to tackle pressing environmental risks 鈥� from predicting and managing wildfires to designing low-waste, circular buildings. It will introduce participants to the broader climate innovation ecosystem and highlight the role of innovators and entrepreneurs creating scalable solutions for sustainability, resilience, circular economies and low-carbon transitions.

The series will raise awareness about climate entrepreneurship, explore sector opportunities and obstacles, and empower students, early-career professionals, founders, researchers and community innovators to take an active role in environmental research leadership.

鈥淥ur goal is to help people understand how these technologies are being developed and used, and to encourage the sharing of innovations,鈥� Asgary explains. 鈥淲e hope to inspire the next generation of climate innovators and show potential users 鈥� particularly government agencies 鈥� what tools and solutions are available to them.鈥�

The speaker events are the hub's first step in engaging the community, and Asgary says past CIFAL series have served as a foundation for building networks of researchers and practitioners through live group discussions. Recorded content available on also becomes a knowledge repository that draws in new audiences.

鈥淢any of our research projects in recent years have been fed by our speaker series,鈥� says Asgary. Other outcomes have included white papers, book chapters, courses, certificate programs, short courses, community events and more.

Feedback from the first session in February suggests the new series is cultivating projects informed by the insights and networks it generates, highlighting the promise of what CIFAL aims to achieve.

鈥淭he hub is about creating connections, sparking new ideas and ultimately applying AI responsibly to make a tangible difference,鈥� says Asgary. 鈥淎t the end of the day, the goal is to contribute to solving climate change.鈥�

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Mars has been a focus of space exploration for more than six decades, with multiple international exploration expeditions studying the planet鈥檚 geology, atmosphere and potential habitability using spacecraft, rovers and orbiters.

As more missions are planned, new research from 91亚色 highlights an important risk: the possibility that Earth's microbes 鈥� tiny forms of life such as bacteria 鈥� could travel aboard spacecraft and survive on Mars.

Preventing this type of contamination is a central goal of international planetary protection guidelines, which aim to avoid this contamination between Earth and other planets.

鈥淜eeping the Martian environment in pristine condition is crucial for proper scientific characterization,鈥� says Bischof, a PhD student and researcher in 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science. 鈥淚f Earth microbes are able to survive on Mars, they could potentially confound Martian biomarkers, lead to false positive detections of life and/or alter the environment itself.鈥�

To better understand the risks, Bischof worked with Moores, an associate professor and planetary scientist who studies the environmental conditions of planets, to develop the Mars Microbial Survival (MMS) model. The research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), including a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for Bischof and an NSERC Discovery Grant for Moores, as well as funding from NASA鈥檚 planetary protection program and 91亚色鈥檚 Research at 91亚色 program.

The idea was inspired by the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, a joint NASA and European Space Agency effort designed to retrieve geological samples collected by the Perseverance rover and return them to Earth for analysis.

鈥淎t the time we began creating the model, the mission was expected to land on Mars in the early 2030s, so understanding the potential for contamination beforehand was important,鈥� says Bischof.

Using the bacterium Bacillus subtilis 鈥� a common soil microbe often used in research 鈥� Bischof and Moores applied their model to estimate how microbial populations might decline under Mars-like conditions such as intense ultraviolet radiation, extremely low atmospheric pressure, cold temperatures and the planet鈥檚 dry surface environment.

The researchers then used the model to analyze past Mars expeditions and landing sites, simulating how microorganisms might behave 鈥� and how long they might survive 鈥� if carried on spacecraft that land on the Martian surface.

The tool was used to examine microbes in two main locations on spacecraft: exterior surfaces, such as outer shells or exposed hardware; and interior surfaces, including instruments or sheltered components.

Their findings, published in , suggest that Mars presents harsh conditions for Earth-based microbes. Unlike Earth, the planet lacks a thick atmosphere and protective ozone layer, leaving the surface exposed to strong ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Results showed that exterior spacecraft surfaces would likely be sterilized relatively quickly due to this radiation. In many cases, ultraviolet exposure alone would rapidly destroy most microorganisms.

However, microbes located in interior or shielded areas of spacecraft could experience different conditions and may survive for extended periods, Bischof says. The model predicts that other factors 鈥� including low atmospheric pressure and temperature fluctuations 鈥� would gradually reduce microbial populations over time, but at a much slower rate than on exposed surfaces.

The fact that some microorganisms may persist for decades on Mars, Bischof says, 鈥渋s important to consider when making policy decisions regarding the sterility of spacecraft pre-launch.鈥�

Although the Mars Sample Return mission that inspired the research is currently on hold, Bischof says the work remains highly relevant. The researchers say their innovation can inform spacecraft design and cleaning strategies by identifying components that pose the greatest contamination risk and where additional precautions may be needed.

鈥淗uman-led missions to Mars remain a high priority for NASA, and these results can be applied to any future mission landings on Mars鈥� surface,鈥� she says.

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