The approval allows Aretek to move ahead with a three-storey student housing project at the University of Windsor, expected to be the largest 3D-printed concrete building in North America by volume.

Researchers at 91亚色鈥檚 have been working with the company to test materials, monitor performance and generate the technical evidence needed to bring an emerging construction method closer to real-world use.

Liam Butler, associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, has been working alongside Aretek 鈥� formerly known as Printerra 鈥� through a multi-year research partnership anchored at the Keele Campus. Aretek is one of the few Canadian companies specializing in additive concrete construction, commonly known as 3D-printed concrete.

The collaboration involves developing lower-carbon concrete mixes, full-scale structural testing, performance monitoring, long-term durability testing and the kind of technical evidence regulators need before approving an entirely new way of building.

"This is definitely putting 91亚色 on the map as a key collaborator," says Butler.

The road to that approval, however, was not straightforward. Unlike conventional construction materials, 3D-printed concrete has no formal building code or standard anywhere in the world.

"Aretek has had to overcome the fact that there is no template for how to evaluate these new systems. They've had to create their own through demonstration and testing," says Butler.

Rather than wait for new regulations, Aretek worked within existing masonry standards to design and test a 3D-printed wall system. It applied for code approval through a regulatory pathway that allows builders to prove a new method can meet safety and performance requirements, even when it is not yet covered by existing building codes. Butler was directly involved in that process, called on by Aretek to support discussions with the Building Materials Evaluation Commission on behalf of these new innovative materials.

"We've been asked as academics to join these conversations with building officials to help support their application for these regulatory approvals," he says.

That support was possible because of what 91亚色's Keele Campus offers. Aretek conducts research and development out of 91亚色's Climate Data-Driven Design (CD3) facility 鈥� a civil engineering lab that gives access to full-scale industrial 3D printers. For Butler, that full-scale capacity is one of the partnership鈥檚 most important advantages.

"Most research around the world in 3D-printed concrete is at the lab scale, using lab-sized printers or even printers that fit on a desktop," says Butler. "We actually have access to a full-scale industrial-size printer. The acceleration from lab scale to adoption is greatly shortened. New mixes we design can be immediately tested at the full scale. That is a very unique aspect of this research project."

One of the partnership's central research objectives is reducing cement content in 3D-printed concrete mixes. Cement is essential to the rapid-hardening properties that 3D printing requires but it is also one of the construction sector's most significant environmental liabilities. The cement and concrete sector accounts for around seven per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

"Reducing that cement content in mixes, even by 20 or 30 per cent, could have a large-scale impact across the sector," says Butler.

The partnership also extends into workforce training. As Aretek trains construction workers in 3D-printing methods, those workers need a new skill set: learning to operate robotic printing systems, manage material preparation, read digital files and follow safety protocols specific to additive construction equipment.

"Like any sector that is evolving and changing, there's always a degree of upskilling that's going to have to be involved," says Butler.

The Windsor project, once complete, could also make it easier for future projects to move through approval processes elsewhere.

"Once one solution has been approved by a certain jurisdiction, it sets an important precedent," says Butler. "It will open the floodgates to a lot of other projects and jurisdictions."

Looking ahead, Butler expects 3D-printed construction to grow rapidly with hybrid structures that combine 3D-printed concrete and mass timber or precast concrete. This could lead to more sustainable material mixes and an increasing number of companies entering the space. He hopes 91亚色 remains at the centre of that evolution.

For Butler, that close connection between university research and industry application 鈥� such as the Windsor project 鈥� is what makes the partnership significant.

"It's a wonderful mechanism for creating positive impact," he says, "being able to upscale directly from research to new real-world applications."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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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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Several times a month, a small drone rises above the trees at Swan Lake, following a precise path over the water. Parkgoers who enjoy walking, jogging or birdwatching might assume it鈥檚 there to capture scenic footage. Instead, the drone is part of a 91亚色-led effort to understand 鈥� and help restore 鈥� the health of an urban lake under pressure.

Swan Lake, a former gravel pit transformed into a stormwater pond and community green space, faces ongoing water quality challenges. As rainwater flows into the site from surrounding roads and neighbourhoods, it carries excess nutrients, road salt and other pollutants. Over time, this can fuel frequent algae growth, cloud the water and reduce oxygen levels, stressing fish and wildlife, limiting recreation and, in some cases, raising public health concerns.

Since April 2025, 91亚色 researchers, led by CIFAL 91亚色, have been turning concern about the lake鈥檚 health into measurable data and practical action through the Swan Lake Citizen Science Lab (SLCS Lab). The initiative brings together 91亚色 research centres, including ADERSIM and the One WATER Institute, with local partners such as Friends of Swan Lake Park, a community鈥慴ased volunteer organization dedicated to protecting and improving the area鈥檚 ecological health.

鈥淐ommunities often know when something is not right with a local ecosystem, but it鈥檚 hard to act without clear, comprehensive and consistent information, as well as meaningful community engagement鈥� says Ali Asgary, director of CIFAL 91亚色 and professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. 鈥淭he goal of the lab is to support those concerns with reliable data that can guide real decisions.鈥�

"To assess a lake is to assess ourselves," adds Satinder Kaur Brar, director of the One WATER Institute and professor at the . "Its health card is a mirror of our environmental stewardship."

One way the lab is assessing the lake is through advanced technology, such as the use of multispectral and thermal drones operated by 91亚色 research teams.

Equipped with special cameras that capture different types of light 鈥� including some invisible to the human eye 鈥� the drones can detect potential algae growth and subtle changes in water clarity as they scan the lake from above. Flying low and on demand, they provide detailed, up-to-date views of trends across the entire water body, offering a clearer picture than satellite images and a broader perspective than scattered and spot鈥慴y鈥憇pot water sampling.

The drones have already yielded valuable insights, recently shared in a 91亚色鈥憀ed, under-review study that monitored patterns from spring through fall 2025. By flying the drones roughly once a month and analyzing the findings over time, researchers were able to pinpoint where algae forms, how blooms shift across the seasons and how changes in water cloudiness are driven by biological growth rather than stirred鈥憉p sediment.

The findings confirm what many residents and park managers have long suspected: the lake is rich in nutrients and prone to recurring algae growth. The drone data, however, also reveal something new.

Conditions vary significantly from one area to another, suggesting that targeted, location鈥憇pecific interventions may be more effective than broad, one鈥憇ize鈥慺its鈥慳ll treatments applied across the entire lake. Knowing where problems emerge helps guide chemical treatments, shoreline naturalization projects and future restoration efforts 鈥� and provides a better way to measure whether those interventions are working. "Interconnecting drone data with on-ground water quality can turn ecological signals into informed action that is vital for communities," says Brar.

鈥淲hat the data made clear is that this isn鈥檛 a uniform problem,鈥� adds Asgary. 鈥淲hen conditions vary so much from one part of the lake to another, it changes how you think about solutions. This kind of information allows us to be more precise, more proactive and more strategic in environmental management.鈥�

In addition to monitoring Swan Lake, 91亚色鈥憀ed teams are working to make the data easier to interpret and use in planning. Researchers are developing AI tools to identify patterns in the drone imagery, anticipate conditions such as algae outbreaks and translate complex trends into clearer insights.

Other teams are using virtual reality and simulation to help users visualize the lake over time and explore how different interventions might affect conditions. Meanwhile, geographic information system (GIS) specialists are turning the results into interactive maps and dashboards that help the public and those involved in lake management understand what is happening across the site.

A core goal of the Swan Lake Citizen Science Lab is to encourage meaningful community engagement and shared stewardship.

鈥淔rom the start, this was never about researchers working in isolation,鈥� says Asgary. 鈥淭he goal of the Swan Lake Citizen Science Lab is to create a shared process, where community knowledge and scientific tools come together.鈥�

Local partners are not just observers; they are active partners in the research. Residents take part in field checks, help interpret findings, attend workshops and contribute to outreach efforts that share findings. Alongside them, 91亚色 students gain hands鈥憃n experience applying classroom learning to a real environmental challenge, working with researchers and resident members in a local setting.

For CIFAL 91亚色, which is affiliated with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the work at Swan Lake is a pilot that could inform other communities facing similar pressures on small urban lakes and wetlands.

鈥淭he impact here is very tangible,鈥� says Asgary. 鈥淭hrough drones, data and collaboration, we鈥檙e building a deeper understanding of how this ecosystem functions and how it can be protected over time. That kind of shared knowledge is what allows stewardship to last.鈥�

Find out more about the SLCS Lab, and see it in action, in the video below.

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Faculty of Science Professor Cora Young and Associate Professor Trevor VandenBoer were recognized through the NASA Group Achievement Award for their contributions to the Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas (AEROMMA) campaign, a joint effort between NASA and the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study air quality and climate interactions across North America.

The award is reserved for those who have made exceptional contributions to NASA's mission and scientific endeavours.

AEROMMA combined aircraft, ground-based measurements and satellite observations to study how contemporary emissions from cities and oceans affect air quality and climate. NASA and NOAA approached 91亚色 to lead the Toronto supersite, one of several measurement hubs established in major North American cities to contribute to the campaign's airborne data.

Young served as scientific lead, coordinating a team of 25 to 30 researchers; VandenBoer served as logistical lead, overseeing the physical transformation of 91亚色's rooftop laboratory 鈥� on the Petrie Science and Engineering Building 鈥� to host the research.

Also involved were 91亚色 colleagues Mark Gordon, associate professor at the , and Rob McLaren, professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry.

Collaborators came from across Canada and internationally, including Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the University of 91亚色 in the U.K.

91亚色 graduate and undergraduate students had the opportunity to work on the project with those visiting researchers.

"Our ability to bring together this strong team of researchers allowed us to ensure it was worthwhile for AEROMMA to include Toronto," says Young. "Otherwise, we would have missed out on this unprecedented opportunity to learn about modern air quality here."

The 2023 summer AEROMMA project unfolded during a period of intense wildfire smoke across the region, an unplanned development that offered a rare opportunity for study.

"Wildfires will exacerbate air quality issues," says VandenBoer. "Understanding the chemistry of wildfire plumes arriving in the city is going to be critical to informing the public on when and how to protect their respiratory health."

The existing Air Quality Health Index is not well-suited to wildfire conditions because the smoke differs from the other drivers of urban air pollution.

One of the first papers to emerge from the project, now in its final round of peer review, found that wildfire smoke changed chemically as it travelled, changing how health and climate impacts are understood and communicated.

91亚色 researchers have also been in dialogue with the team behind ECCC鈥檚 2024 Study of Winter Air Pollution in Toronto (SWAPIT). Together, the summer and winter datasets create a year-round picture of urban air quality in Canada鈥檚 largest city that could inform policy on everything from wood-burning smoke to the atmospheric impacts of road salt.

The work also validated NASA鈥檚 TEMPO satellite, a space-based instrument tracking air pollution across North America. Measurements from 91亚色鈥檚 site, alongside NASA research aircraft and ECCC sites, were essential in confirming the satellite鈥檚 early readings, helping move the tool into practical use for ongoing air-quality monitoring and research.

For 91亚色 graduate students, the initiative created opportunities to build international networks. VandenBoer says students helped host collaborators by familiarizing them with 91亚色鈥檚 facilities and procedures, and in some cases were involved with operating, maintaining and responding to issues with visiting researchers鈥� instruments.

Those connections continued beyond the project. Graduate student Yashar Ebrahimi-Iranpour later spent two weeks collaborating at NOAA鈥檚 Chemical Sciences Laboratory, while graduate student Na-Yung Seoh went on to join an international University of 91亚色-led campaign in Cape Verde.

AEROMMA involved a range of 91亚色 collaborators, including facilities staff, operations teams and University leadership.

"It's a 91亚色 community undertaking," says VandenBoer. "A lot of people wanted to support us, and for no other reason than that's just the type of community that we have."

Young points to why the work is imperative today.

"There are a lot of chemicals being emitted into the environment we can't see or smell or taste," she says. "Just because we can't detect them with our own senses doesn't mean they're not a problem. We need to keep on top of it."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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Announced March 27 at 91亚色鈥檚 Markham Campus, Natural Resources Canada will invest $28.9 million in 12 projects across the country to build and deploy clean energy technologies through its Energy Innovation Program.

These investments support efforts to reduce emissions and modernize Canada鈥檚 energy systems as clean technologies advance.

91亚色's project, led by Associate Professor Marina Freire鈥慓ormaly at Lassonde, is one of four initiatives funded in the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage stream which supports early research on capturing, moving, story and reusing carbon dioxide.

Freire-Gormaly will focus on developing a carbon capture technology that replaces heat鈥慽ntensive systems with electrochemical and light鈥慸riven processes. By using advanced materials, the technology aims to cut energy use, reduce operating costs and improve performance.

鈥淭his funding allows us to move promising carbon capture ideas from the lab and scale them up, closer to real鈥憌orld use,鈥� says Freire鈥慓ormaly. 鈥淚t supports 91亚色鈥檚 role in developing practical, low鈥慹nergy solutions that can help reduce emissions.鈥�

The project, titled 鈥淒evelopment and scale-up of novel solid C02 capture photoelectrochemical active sorbents,鈥� began in 2023 and will continue until March 2027 with a focus on creating and testing new solid materials that absorb carbon dioxide when exposed to light and electricity, instead of through thermal processes.

Freire鈥慓ormaly and her team of researchers 鈥� including co-applicant Assistant Professor Solomon Boakye-Yiadom and other collaborators at 91亚色's Faculty of Science 鈥� have developed new electrode materials using copper, aerogels and specialized coatings to improve performance.

Researchers are using a small, custom-built lab to accurately measure how much carbon dioxide is captured. Findings will help evaluate costs, environmental impacts and carbon emissions, and help determine how sustainable and practical the innovative solvent-based pathway would be at an industrial scale.

鈥淭hese innovations are crucial towards a net-zero energy transition for all Canadians,鈥� says Friere-Gormaly.

Tim Hodgson, minister of energy and natural resources, says the project reflects Canada鈥檚 goal to scale up clean energy and responsibly grow the nation鈥檚 conventional energy industry.

鈥淲e are investing to provide reliable, affordable and clean power across the country that will propel our economic growth, protect affordability for Canadian families and make Canada a low-risk, low-cost, low-carbon energy superpower.鈥�

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Created in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the initiative brings together researchers, community organizations and international partners to build knowledge and capacity to respond to the global water crisis.

With Shooka Karimpour, associate professor at the , as academic director, the academy supports learning, strengthens global dialogue and bridges water knowledge with decision-making and public policy.

"Water insecurity means different things for different groups and different demographics," says Karimpour.

While some water challenges are shared internationally, she says, the academy also works to highlight local issues 鈥� from changing ice patterns in Canada to the impact of drought on specific communities elsewhere in the world.

That dual focus shapes everything the academy does. Its free online courses are open to learners worldwide at no cost. Offerings include 鈥淥n Thin Ice: The Impacts of Climate Change on Freshwater Ice鈥� and 鈥淎n Introduction to Indigenous Relationships to Water on Turtle Island,鈥� among others.

The courses aim to build practical knowledge of water systems, governance and sustainability at both local and global scales 鈥� whether the learner is a student, a community organizer or a policy professional.

In 2024, the academy engaged nearly 8,000 participants from 147 countries through courses, events and partnerships including United Nations conferences, international research collaborations and public exhibitions.

One of its most recent collaborations illustrates how that work translates beyond the classroom. For World Water Day 2026, the Global Water Academy partnered with the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto to present a Microplastics Discovery Station. This brought 91亚色 scientists directly to the public to demonstrate how microscopic plastic particles move through aquatic ecosystems. Visitors examined water samples, identified microplastics and engaged with researchers first-hand.

For Karimpour, the event captured something central to the academy's mission: moving water science from the digital space into hands-on, in-person public engagement with communities.

There is also work happening with community-based organizations to surface stories and solutions that connect research to lived experience.

A with water activist Swani Keelson and the non-profit Global Water Promise examined how water insecurity in Ghana affects women's physical and mental health 鈥� and how limited access to clean water compounds broader inequalities, including period poverty and barriers to education.

"We are providing them with a platform and opportunity to share not only global water insecurity issues, but also innovative solutions that have been developed to mitigate this problem," says Karimpour. "Our goal is to raise awareness and ultimately inspire collective action."

That combination of training, storytelling and public programming reflects how the work aligns with 91亚色's broader sustainability agenda.

While its mandate is rooted in Sustainable Development Goal 6 鈥� clean water and sanitation 鈥� the issues it engages consistently extend into climate resilience, health, gender equity and governance. The work around the Ghana story advances SDG 5 on gender equality, while the microplastics research supports SDG 14, life below water.

"You can't really confine the impact to one SDG because water availability is such a deep issue," says Karimpour. "It really affects and falls into a lot of other SDGs as well."

Karimpour credits strong institutional support from 91亚色, including from University leadership, as central to the academy's growth. Looking ahead, Karimpour says it will continue to build new courses and partnerships, with an emphasis on reaching communities that have the most at stake in global water insecurity.

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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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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