From co-op to climate leadership, Hoang Do drives real-world change in logistics sustainability
Hoang Do
Undergraduate student, Faculty of Environment
> Co-op and experiential Education
Growing up in Vietnam, Hoang Do was interested in economic development in developing countries, and the need to combine economic considerations with environmental issues.
This led him to Waterloo’s Environment and Business program where he’s not only gaining critical understanding of environmental problems, but he is also creating solutions through the University’s renowned co-op program.
His passion for sustainability and data analysis came to life during two co-op work terms at Purolator, a leading integrated freight, parcel and logistics solutions provider.
Working on the corporate sustainability team, Hoang contributed to several projects to help the company and its clients reduce their carbon emissions and impact on the environment.
“One of the projects was doing Scope 3 emissions modelling for one of Purolator’s major customers,” he shares. “The modelling involved analyzing shipment data to provide developing insights on how Purolator would support reaching this customer’s emission reduction goals through its service offerings.”
Early in his first work term, Hoang also identified Purolator as a strong candidate for the Government of Canada’s Net-Zero Challenge, which encourages businesses to develop credible plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Taking initiative, he led the research and nomination process, resulting in Purolator being listed in the platinum tier for its participation.
“Hoang is always able to take on new projects and elevate them with high-value deliverables,” says Anna Oandasan, senior manager of Sustainability at Purolator. “He’s a talent we want to keep in the organization.”
Purolator is just one of more than 8,000 organizations within Waterloo’s global co-op employer network — from Fortune 500 leaders to tech startups — who hire Waterloo talent and help students develop work-ready skills to secure meaningful employment after graduation.
Hoang’s innovative contributions to the company earned him a part-time specialist role in May 2025. In this position, he helped revise and communicate the company’s decarbonization strategy as it transitions its vehicle fleet to lower greenhouse gas emission solutions. He also supported the migration of greenhouse gas data to a secure cloud-based system to enhance both detail and accountability.
His impact was recognized with Waterloo’s 2024 Co-op Student of the Year Award, a testament to his leadership and forward-thinking approach.
Looking ahead, Hoang hopes to pursue a career in sustainability management or sustainable finance.
“I’ve been learning a lot about this growing field, so I’ve been taking more courses in this area to broaden my knowledge,” he says. “I want to contribute to our understanding of how to mobilize capital for climate sustainability.”
He returns to Purolator for his third consecutive co-op work term in Winter 2026, continuing to shape the future of corporate sustainability.
