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No career is likely to be unaffected by climate change and sustainability considerations. University of Waterloo graduates will need core skills and discipline-specific knowledge of climate change and sustainability if they are to be global citizens prepared to thrive in an age of rapid, global sustainability change. There are many ways sustainability adds value to curriculum including meeting the needs of industry, supporting student demands, and aligning with strategic goals.

This project aims to make environmental sustainability skills, knowledge, and values more readily available and intentionally integrated in the curriculum of all undergraduate University of Waterloo students, in order to prepare them for career success in light of a rapidly changing planet. Phase 1 of the project developed a flexible framework through which sustainability can be meaningfully integrated throughout programs of study. To support this framework, a collection of resources and supports is available in this toolkit.

Start integrating sustainability into your department:

These skills are needed for the future of work.

CANADA'S NATIONAL ADAPTATION STRATEGY IDENTIFIES A NEED FOR GRADUATES WITH GREEN SKILLS AND ABLE TO RESPOND TO PRESENT AND FUTURE CLIMATE IMPACTS

(Government of Canada, 2023)
800 MILLION JOBS
ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO BEING DISRUPTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

(Phillip et al., 2022)
29% HIGHER HIRING RATE FOR WORKERS WITH GREEN SKILLS PER LINKEDIN

(Perna, 2023)
75 %
OF CANADIAN WORKERS BELIEVE AN INABILITY TO FIND SKILLED TALENT IS PREVENTING COMPANIES FROM REACHING THEIR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

(Lindzon, 2023)
13 %
OF THE LABOUR WORKFORCE ACTUALLY HAS THE SKILLS ORGANIZATIONS NEED AND WANT

(Duke, 2023)
40 %
INCREASE IN GLOBAL DEMAND FOR GREEN SKILLS SINCE 2015

(Duke, 2023)
AS SUSTAINABILITY IMPACTS AND TRANSITIONS UNFOLD, OUR GRADUATES WILL NEED CORE SKILLS AND DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY IF THEY ARE TO BE GLOBAL CITIZENS PREPARED TO THRIVE IN AN AGE OF RAPID CHANGE

(Knibb, 2016)

Sources

Duke, S. (2023, May 1). The future of jobs is green: How climate change is changing labour markets. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/04/future-of-jobs-is-green-2023-climate-change-labour-markets/

Government of Canada. (2023). Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy: Building resilient communities and a strong economy. https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/national-adaptation-strategy/full-strategy.html

Knibb, H. (2016). Green Skills for Sustainable Economic Growth: The Role of Canadian Colleges and Institutes in Advancing Education for Sustainability in Canada and Overseas. Colleges and Institutes Canada

Lindzon, J. (2023, September 5). Thinking beyond just “the green sector”: Why every organization needs workers with sustainability skills throughout their business. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-thinking-beyond-just-the-green-sector-why-every-organization-needs/

Perna, M. C. (2023, September 21). Demand for green skills outpacing what the workforce can deliver-but there’s hope. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2023/09/21/demand-for-green-skills-outpacing-what-the-workforce-can-deliver-but-theres-hope/?sh=67be87ae5f24

Philip, Dr. P., Steinmann, J., & Barnes, D. (2022). Work toward net zero. Deloitte. https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/climate/work-toward-net-zero.html?id=gx%3A2el%3A3pr%3A4work_toward_net_zero%3A5GC1000045%3A6abt%3A20221101%3Agc1000136

UK Universities Climate Network. (October 2021). Mainstreaming Climate Change Education in UK Higher Education Institutions. https://uucn.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Mainstreaming-Climate-Change-Education.pdf