Students posing with their faculty awards

With the world, for the world

Our vision

To be at the forefront of environmental research, education, and innovation—where working with the world, for the world drives transformative change for people and the planet.

Our mission

We tackle the world’s most pressing challenges related to climate change, urban growth, natural resources, and sustainability. With the world, for the world, we inspire students to become changemakers, empower them to lead solutions, and unite people and ideas to build a better future.

Our values at the Faculty of Environment

Think differently We value curiosity, courage and co-creation in pursuit of meaningful change.

We are building a culture that invites bold questions and brings diverse opinions together. We believe solving today’s complex problems demands empathy, imagination and a willingness to embrace uncertainty with hope. In the spirit of curiosity, we must act together to disrupt the status quo and shape solutions that transform both people and planet.
Act with purpose  We value social responsibility, accountability for our work, and stewardship of our planet.

As a Faculty, we strive to act with clear purpose for the well-being of people and planet by delivering high-quality education and excellent research in alignment with our vision and values. We prioritize work with communities beyond our campus for real world impact and aim to do this with care, ensuring it is meaningful, accessible, and supports change where most needed.
Work together We value collaboration, community and equity.

We believe that transformative change happens when we work together, blending perspectives across disciplines, sectors and communities. Within our Faculty and beyond, we strive to foster inclusive, collaborative environments that empower us to learn from one another and grow together.
Ranked 1st in Canada for water resources research, ShanghaiRanking’s Global Rankings
Top five in Canada for environmental studies as ranked by Maclean's Magazine 2025
Ranked 20th in the world in environmental research, QS Sustainability Rankings 2025

Canada's centre for transdisciplinary learning, research and teaching

  • Snapshot of Antarctica’s past helps predict future climate

    The first study to consider the long-term evolution of the rivers that flow beneath glaciers.

  • Sustainability vs. Growth? Why not both

    Exploring the possibilities of pursuing economic development and conservation in local and global communities

$14.1 million+ in annual research funding
2,826 students enrolled at all levels of study
First climate change degree offered in Canada
More than 16,000 alumni from 80 countries

In Environment, students and alumni don’t wait for change, they create it

  • Bridging the gap between farmers and food manufacturers

    MapMate founder, Kwaku Owusu Twum

  • A look into Hong Kong’s successful transit system

    Planning alumni Rex Auyeung (BES '77)

  • Starfish Canada’s Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25

    Bethany Poltl awarded for her environmental advocacy

Committed to real-world impact and transformative change 

A message from the dean

Dean Bruce Frayne

In 50 years, the Faculty of Environment has transformed itself from being the problem framers to becoming the problem solvers. I’ve been here for over 10 years of that transformation, having served as a professor and director of the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development, representing the faculty at the University Senate and as an academic chair, and started my first term as Dean of Environment on July 1, 2022. I am excited to continue our evolution as Canada’s centre for transdisciplinary learning, research and teaching. 

Today, sustainability is a driver of modernization, where industry and environment, ecology and economy are not conflicting goals, but rather intrinsically linked. It’s with this perspective we introduce our Faculty of Environment’s 2020-2025 strategic plan: TOGETHER for a sustainable future. It’s a plan to firmly establish Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment as Canada’s catalyst for environmental innovation, solutions and talent generation, bringing partners from across disciplines and sectors together.

The Faculty of Environment acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. EV1, EV2 and EV3 are situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across main campus through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

- Bruce Frayne, Dean, Faculty of Environment

Faculty of Environment reports

2025 Annual reports

2025 annual reports

2024 Annual Reports

2024 annual reports

2023 Annual reports