HUB for Sustainability Integration
The Hub for Sustainability Integration is a collaborative ecosystem bringing together the Student Consultancy, Sustainability Business Council and Professional Development initiatives under a shared purpose: to embed sustainability into every business decision across industries, organizations, and geographies.
Jointly led by the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) and the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), the Hub bridges academia and practice to advance the University of Waterloo's vision of becoming a global leader in sustainability integration.
The Student Consultancy course is a cornerstone of this initiative, providing experiential learning opportunities, networking, and mentoring for students to build skills in business, consulting and sustainability. In doing so, it also serves as a vital resource for Canadian organizations seeking to embed sustainability into their operations and long-term strategy.
Associate Director
Claire Purvis
The HUB’s Associate Director provides strategic guidance and industry insight to support the integration of sustainability into business education and practice. Drawing on extensive professional experience, the Associate Director mentors students, advises on project development within the Student Consultancy, and strengthens connections between academia and industry. This role helps ensure the HUB remains aligned with real-world sustainability challenges and opportunities facing organizations today.
News
Five Steps Small Businesses Can Take Toward Sustainability
Guest Post by Rob Fisher, KPMG U.S. ESG Leader
Large organizations are increasingly subject to an array of ESG reporting obligations. Incentivized by grants and tax credits, these large companies are driving the move toward sustainability.
However, it’s the small and mid-sized companies that make up nearly 90% of businesses worldwide and employ almost half of North America’s workers.
Therefore, it is crucial to explore how sustainability wins from small businesses can snowball into the larger value chain.
Canada to Phase Out Public Fossil Fuel Financing
Government of Canada Announcement
The Government of Canada announced on Monday a series of initiatives aimed at reducing government support for the fossil fuel sector, including the release of a new framework and guidelines, effective immediately, to eliminate “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies.
The government also announced that it will work to identify current public financing by 2024, and develop an implementation plan by fall 2024 to phase out public financing of the fossil fuel sector, beyond the scope of the new subsidy elimination commitment.
Addressing Climate Issues: WTW/Nasdaq Survey
Half of Board Members Report Lacking Skills to Address Climate Issues: WTW/Nasdaq Survey - ESG Today
Nearly half of board members report lacking skills and expertise in their organizations for addressing climate issues, even as most acknowledge that a strong ESG strategy can lead to better financial outcomes, according to a new survey by advisory, broking and solutions company WTW and the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence.
“Board members are evolving their ESG agenda from reacting to stakeholder pressure to proactively linking ESG to business strategy. As a result, we are seeing greater interest in addressing skills and resource gaps and more emphasis on oversight of emerging risks.”
~ Kenneth Kuk, Senior Director, Work & Rewards at WTW