Throughout our 50-year history, the Faculty of Environment has been dedicated to creating a positive impact. By focusing on human-environment interactions, our community of students, alumni, donors, faculty and staff have made meaningful change happen in the classroom, the workplace, and in communities across Canada and around the world.
As we celebrate our past, we are also looking to the future, because the world needs our expertise more than ever. Climate change, which is likely the greatest challenge of this century, impels society to fundamentally transform our economy and how we live. Seeking sustainability in the face of climate change, and other social and environmental issues, is likely the greatest challenge of this century, and it impels society to fundamentally transform our economy and how we live. These complex problems create an imperative for us to address the world’s most pressing challenges through rigorous research, effective knowledge mobilization, and creative solutions.
But we must also view these challenges through a lens of consciousness and caring. Alumnus Brianna Aspinall, who founded Carbon Conversations Toronto, captures the need for a balanced perspective through open dialogue in our first article of this issue, Consciousness and caring in the face of climate crisis.
Looking Beyond the classroom, we highlight the inspiration of today’s new graduates and their potential to drive global change. Indra Sarju (BES ’19) chose the Faculty of Environment’s International Development program because she wanted to work abroad, and in her final year, she went to Africa to work with youth in Malawi. The value of this youthful energy can go a long way. In our article, Hungry for change, we look at how relationships that develop in the entrepreneurial environment of a university, can have a positive rippling effect for decades to come.
This year, as the Faculty celebrates its 50th, we have introduced a new alumni award. Our Friend of the Faculty award recognizes an individual, company, organization, group or foundation who has supported the Faculty of Environment through volunteerism, promotion, financial assistance, collaboration, and/or participation. Find out about our awardees for this and other awards in this issue of ENVision.
Finally, in our Last word, Jon Beale, from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) for Canada, checks our collective pulse on progress made toward our national commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Can we count on the world to unite behind these goals for a better future? We think so.
