Sustainability and Financial Management

Photo of Sustainability themes student area

Lead the change. Shape a greener future.

The only one of its kind in Canada, the SFM program is strategically designed to meet current and growing labour market demands in the fields of sustainable finance and accounting.

Globally, we’re seeing a growing connection between environmental issues and corporate interests. Today’s investors, businesses, and governments care about sustainability as well as dollars and cents.

Sustainable finance is giving rise to a greener future while moving away from the limited approaches of the past. There’s value in aligning environmental responsibility with profits, using environmental, social, and governance reporting to drive policy- and decision-making for long-term success.

That means demand for a new breed of green financial experts.

Are you ready to lead the way? As an SFM student, you’ll learn how to step up, drive change, and align people, profits, and the planet to shape a brighter and greener future by:

  1. Developing your entrepreneurial mindset to become an expert in all stages of business.
  2. Training to be a critically minded professional through team and problem-based learning to tackle wicked sustainability problems facing society. 
  3. Polishing your eco-warrior expertise in industrial ecology, environmental management systems, and social marketing to integrate sustainability into business practices.
  4. Building your analytical prowess by learning how to apply, select, analyze, and effectively interpret data.
  5. Gaining the know-how to become business savvy by learning how technology impacts businesses to successfully leverage it.
  6. Strengthening your people skills outside of the classroom by participating in workshops, tutorials, conferences, and competitions.

By the time you graduate, you'll have the unique mindset and financial expertise to drive digital transformation, reimagine greener businesses, and advance social, environmental, and economic impact.

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Young people have the ability to see the world in different ways, and we can’t solve the biggest challenges in our society without them.

That’s a message I believe in wholeheartedly, and one of many I shared with colleagues, partners and community members as RBC announced a combined $3.5 million donation over five years to the University of Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier University and Conestoga College

Dave McKay, President & CEO RBC

November marked a significant milestone in sustainability education as the University of Waterloo hosted the inaugural "Be the Future" conference for high school students, organized by the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF), the Faculty of Environment and Ontario DECA.

This unique event highlighted Waterloo's commitment to developing the next generation of leaders by inspiring students to explore the intersection of sustainability, social impact and economic growth.

The Inaugural Hub for Sustainability Integration Conference took place on March 21st at the Delta Hotel in Toronto. The day was filled with informative presentations and panel discussions from some of the country’s most knowledgeable sustainability integration and climate advocates. 

The Contemporary Issues in Sustainability Reporting Symposiumco-organized by Professors Liz Demers and Mingyue Zhang on behalf of the CPA Ontario Centre for Sustainability and Performance Management (CSPM), brought together thought leaders from academia and business to explore and discuss contemporary issues in sustainability reporting.