News

Articles:

Dardir, M., Berardi, U. and Wilson, J., 2023. Health-informed predictive regression for statistical-simulation decision-making in urban heat mitigation. Sustainable Cities and Society, p.104853.  

 Ali, W. and Wilson, J., 2023. Multi-level analysis on determinants of sustainability disclosure: a survey of academic literature.  

Reports: 

Dardir, M., Wilson, J., Berardi., U., 2023. Health-Informed Heat Mitigation Approach: Case Study of The Regional Municipality of York. Greenbelt Foundation’s Working Paper series. August 2023.  

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. 2023. Growing Healthy Towers, Transformative Partnerships for Healthy Built Environment. Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program. 

As a first-year Environment and Business student, I wanted to live on campus and meet other people. I chose United College, formerly St. Paul’s, because of the proximity of the residence to my classes, the tight-knit environment, and the Faculty of Environment Living Learning Community (ENV LLC).

As a member of the ENV LLC, we were given a peer mentor to help us through any first-year problems, share tips, support us, and more. We also had special events like a plant social, essay writing workshops, resume building, and information on upper-year housing, among others. I was able to meet other students in the Faculty of Environment. More information on the ENV LLC can be found on United’s website at Living Learning Communities at United | United College.

The majority of the students on my floor were from the Faculty of Environment, but some were from other faculties. It was nice to meet lots of different people and further my social circle. I enjoyed being able to learn more about other programs and see different points of views. It was also always interesting to see the difference between the ideas generated from someone from the Faculty of Environment versus someone from the Faculty of Math or Science.

We were also given a “Don”, which is an upper year student that lives on the same floor and is your mentor, plans events, and checks-in with you. Our Don planned a movie night, a game of manhunt, trips to a Thanksgiving farm, and more. These fit in perfectly with the other events already planned by United or faculty exclusive events like ones for the ENV LLC. They had more movie nights with free snacks, a band, fireside chats, swimming at the PAC, and so many others.

Amidst the global pandemic, United, ENV LLC, and the upper-years who ran events, worked really hard to make sure we had a wonderful first year. They were even able to have a modified Welcome Week with a scavenger hunt and other activities to encourage you to bond with your floor mates. WUSA (Waterloo University Student Association) also hosted events for first-years such as a silent disco, chopstick handling competition, free ice cream, and more.

As luck would have it I was placed in a double room with an ensuite washroom. United offers a single room, a single room with an ensuite, a double room, and the version I was placed in. I was considering both types of double rooms because I wanted to have a roommate. The regular double room came with a layout that has the beds on one side, a dividing wall with storage, and then the desks on the other. I found it really interesting but ultimately I chose having a semi-private bathroom instead. More details can be found at Live at United | United College.

United College was a great start to my career at the University of Waterloo. I made many lasting relationships and this set the stage for my continuing time at university.

Submitted by Alison Zangrilli, 3A Environment and Business

Alexander Cimprich, Steven B. Young.  July 2023.  Environmental footprinting of hospitals: Organizational life cycle assessment of a Canadian hospital.  Journal of Industrial Ecology  

Jonathan Raikes, Daniel Henstra, Jason Thistlethwaite. July 2023.  Public Attitudes Toward Policy Instruments for Flood Risk Management.  Environmental Management, 

Sadaf Mollaei, Leia M. Minaker, Jennifer K. Lynes, Goretty M. Dias.  June 2023. Perceptions and determinants of adopting sustainable eating behaviours among university students in Canada: a qualitative study using focus group discussions.  International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 

Francisco Martin del Campo, Simron Singh, Tomer Fishman, Michael Drescher.  June 2023. The Bahamas at risk Material stocks, sea-level rise, and the implications for development.  Journal of Industrial Ecology, 

Ankesh Siddhantakar, Jair Santillan Saldivar, Thomas Kippes, Steven B. Young.  June 2023.  Helium resource global supply and demand: Geopolitical supply risk analysis.  

Larry Swatuk, David R. Black.  May 2023.  Editors’ introduction: The complexities of worlding international relations: perspectives from the margins.  International Journal Canada s Journal of Global Policy Analysis 

Yi-Shuai Re, SabriBoubaker, Pei-Zhi Liu, Olaf Weber.  May 2023.  How does carbon regulatory policy affect debt financing costs? Empirical evidence from China.  The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance 

Adeboye Oyegunle, Olaf Weber, Amr Elalfy.  April 2023.  Carbon Costs and Credit Risk in a Resource-Based Economy: Carbon Cost Impact on the Z-Score of Canadian TSX 260 Companies.  Journal of Management and Sustainability 

Jeffrey Wilson, Céofride Gaudet, Anders Hayden.  April 2023.  Towards Sustainable Wellbeing: Moving beyond GDP in Canada and the World.   

New research shows that U.S. public pension funds would be $21 billion richer had they divested from fossil fuels a decade ago.  

The study, out of the University of Waterloo in partnership with Stand.earth, analyzed the public equity portfolios of six major U.S. public pension funds, which collectively represent approximately 3.4 million people, to determine the effect divesting from their energy holdings would have had. In total, researchers estimate that the pension funds would have seen a return on their investments that was 13 per cent higher on average. 

Another analysis of the same eight U.S. public pension funds included in the report found that the carbon footprint that would have been reduced had they divested 10 years ago is equivalent to the emissions for powering 35 million homes per year. 

Researchers say the report proves that divesting creates additional financial value, lowers exposure to climate risks, and reduced the carbon footprint of portfolios.  

“Influential investors, like these large public pension funds, can bring about positive change on a few fronts,” said Dr. Olaf Weber, professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development at Waterloo. “Energy divestments can create higher returns for the funds, which leads to higher returns for the beneficiaries and reduced exposure to climate risks. Consequently, it leads to safer pensions.” 

The report also explored ways that recent changes in the performance of the energy sector due to major global events—such as COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine—would have influenced the funds. During the last three years, the value of the fossil fuel sector went up because of the reduced oil supply from Russia. Hence, divestment has not been that attractive from a financial point of view. However, the report found that even in times of high performance in the fossil fuel sector, divestment does not reduce financial returns in any significant way. 

“If climate chaos like fires and floods weren’t enough, this latest report strengthens the case even further that public pension funds must divest from fossil fuels as part of meeting their fiduciary duties,” said Amy Gray, senior climate finance strategist at Stand.earth. “As the longest-term investors for workers, the last thing pension funds should be doing is gambling with retirement and deferred wages of their members.”  

Future work will include going into more detail regarding the emissions of particular portfolio holdings on a per-holdings basis or analyzing the emissions of specific companies and then excluding those with the highest emissions. 

"This new Waterloo data hits home for me. My mom is a beneficiary of a public pension, and my family is depending on that retirement income for security," said Miguel Alatorre Jr., Fossil Free California.  "It's unconscionable to me that these funds are investing in fossil fuel companies driving climate change, heat waves, wildfires and flooding, all while losing income for workers.” 

 The report, The Impact of Energy Investments on the Financial Value and the Emissions of Pension Funds, was presented at the IEEFA Energy Finance Conference on June 22.  

This article originally appears on Waterloo News

The School of Environment, Enterprise and Development is delighted to introduce Professor Rosella Carè, who joined SEED on May 1st as Assistant Professor and the holder of the RBC Professorship in Sustainability and Financial Management.

Professor Carè joins us from the University of Cagliari, where she was Assistant Professor of Banking and Finance. She received a Ph.D. in Sciences de Gestion at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers (CNAM) of Paris and a Ph.D. in Healthcare Management and Economics at the University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro (Italy). She currently holds a Marie Curie Research (Global) Fellowship, a prestigious and highly competitive award administered by the European Commission. Dr. Carè was a visiting researcher at the University of Waterloo in 2021/22.

Dr. Carè has served as the Principal Investigator of the research project "COPERNICUS - Social Finance for Social Enterprises: Theory and Practice to build a more inclusive society," which was funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship. Her expertise lies in the areas of social and sustainable finance, alternative finance (fintech), impact investing, sustainable banking, ESG, climate risks, and financial stability. Dr Carè has a strong record of publications, including three books in the sustainable finance area.

We look forward to the contributions Rosella will make to our department and programs, and to through the initiatives and outreach associated with the RBC Professorship in Sustainability and Financial Management.

Based on a recently concluded study Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH): the contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development, this webinar uncovers the contributions and impacts of small-scale fisheries through a multidisciplinary approach to data collection and analysis. It aims to contribute to a more holistic understanding of what small-scale fisheries are, their importance, why they are essential for efforts to achieve the SDGs. By using this knowledge wisely within a human rights-based approach in line with the SSF Guidelines, and by empowering small-scale fishers and fishworkers, a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable and resilient small-scale scale fisheries subsector can be achieved, supporting the transition from vulnerability to viability. Click here to view an infographic on this context.

Title of the Webinar: The Transition From Vulnerability to Viability Through Illuminating Hidden Harvests
Date: May 26, 2023 (Friday)
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM UTC (8:00 AM to 9:15 AM EDT - 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM CEST - Convert to your local time here)
Speaker: Nicole Franz | Equitable Livelihoods Team Leader at FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Fisheries Division
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdr0tNWk_hM (watch this webinar live and participate in its Q&A session)

Click HERE or see the attached poster for more details about this webinar.

Most people try to understand ‘happiness’ from a purely philosophical perspective since it is believed that scientific exactitude has little to do with this construct. While the art of happiness (or the route to happiness) has a rich tradition in Eastern and Western literature, the scientific aspect of it (or the root of happiness) has often been neglected. Besides, the positive emotion of happiness is a far less emphasized area of research, in comparison to research on negative emotions like anxiety or depression.  

Given this backdrop, the present talk will address issues like: (a) challenges in understanding happiness as a construct, (b) observed evidence in scientific domain, and (c) establishing happiness as a transdisciplinary field of study.

Date: Thursday, June 08, 2023 

Time: 
11:00 am - 12:30 pm: Main event (Talk)
12:30 pm -   2:00 pm: Lunch

Location:
Alumni Hall (201), United College, University of Waterloo, 190 Westmount Rd N, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G5

Speaker: Prof. Manas Kumar Mandal | Cognitive neuropsychologist serving as a distinguished professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Chair: Prof. Bruce Frayne | Dean, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo

Free Registration. Seats are limited. Please register here 

Dr. Neil Craik, law professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development and Waterloo Climate Interventions Strategies Lab member, is part of a growing area of research critically assessing the impacts and governance challenges of large-scale climate interventions in the world’s oceans. Recently, he was part of a team of experts assembled by the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative that were tasked with assessing and recommending paths on how to tackle this emerging challenge. Their new paper, Deep-sea impacts of climate interventions, which appears in the journal Science, explores the environmental risks of climate interventions, the current ocean governance challenges and what needs to be done to address them.

Originally posted on Waterloo News

New research finds that Canada’s electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) has more than tripled in the last two decades, the equivalent of filling the CN tower 110 times and generating close to a million tons in 2020 alone. 

The University of Waterloo researchers completed the first comprehensive estimate of e-waste in Canada to understand its lifecycle, from sales of electronic items to e-waste generation. Their findings reveal that the e-waste generation per person has increased from 8.3 kg in 2000 to 25.3 kg in 2020. The e-waste in Canada is expected to continue rising in the near future and underscores the need for proactive forecasts to better manage the evolving electronics sector.

“This study provides useful insights to policymakers for setting up targets for e-waste reduction and recycling to recover valuable resources from e-waste,” said Komal Habib, professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development and Waterloo Industrial Ecology Group. “E-waste could also help to create a secondary supply chain of critical materials, reducing the risks of potential supply disruptions.”

The estimated growth of e-waste is attributed to consumer habits and Canada’s growing population. As the number of households increases, so does consumption. The study found that large household appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, dominate the e-waste stream considering mass. However, the less bulky items dominate in quantity; household lighting is the top item, followed by toys and sports equipment, and information technology (IT) and telecommunications equipment, such as cellphones and laptops.

There are pros and cons of the expected increase in e-waste for the recycling industry. When it comes to IT and telecommunication equipment, the industry’s efforts to make lightweight products are leading to the dilution of precious and critical materials per product, creating a challenge for recyclers to recover. However, increasing quantities of this e-waste could lead to potential incentives for the continuous operation of the recycling industries.

“The findings will be beneficial for stakeholders to explore possible material and revenue generation opportunities from e-waste,” said Habib. “For example, it can help electronic manufacturers and recyclers to understand the potential for urban mining, plan for future extractions of critical materials, and identify the need for safe handling of any hazardous materials.”

The study also indicates that more attention should be given to improving repair, refurbishment, and product life extension opportunities rather than focusing solely on recycling and material recovery. In the future, the researchers indicated that assessing consumer behaviour data to create a more accurate and complete picture of e-waste management in Canada is necessary to better inform sustainable management practices.

The study, A first comprehensive estimate of electronic waste in Canada, appears in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

“Look beyond the beauty of our coastal wetlands, and you’ll find this habitat is hard at work,” starts the short video by Navya Vikraman Nair, PhD candidate in Sustainability Management (Water). Her work has been selected as one of this year’s top 25 Storytelling Challenge finalists; a national competition run by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

The annual contest, now in its 10^th edition, challenges postsecondary students from across the country to show Canadians, in up to three minutes or 300 words, how social sciences and humanities research is affecting our lives, our world and our future for the better. Navya submitted a video about her current research on linkages among water quality, blue carbon ecosystems and coastal fisheries.

"I am beyond thrilled and honored to be selected as a finalist among the Top 25 in 2023 SSHRC Storytellers challenge” she said. “It's an honour to have the opportunity to share my research and its importance with a wider audience, and I am grateful for the chance to inspire others to take action towards a more sustainable future."

The top 25 storytellers were selected from a pool of nearly 200 applicants and represent 14 postsecondary institutions. Each finalist is awarded a cash prize and will compete for a top five spot in this year’s showcase.

Finalists will present their story at the Storytellers Showcase at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences on Monday, May 29, 2023, at 9 a.m. E.T.at York University. The final five winners will be chosen from among the 25 finalists and will be revealed at a Big Thinking event the same day.