Welcome to the Sustainability Office at the University of Waterloo, the central hub for sustainability action and information on campus. We work to integrate sustainability thinking and climate action into academics, operations, and engagement.
Sustainability issues like the climate crisis affect everyone, causing extreme weather, economic insecurity, and health and wellbeing impacts locally and globally – disproportionally so for marginalized and racialized people. The University of Waterloo community has an essential role to play in advancing a low-carbon, equitable, and resilient future. Not only does Waterloo have a large environmental footprint, it also has enormous potential to tap into the collective talent, skill, and innovative mindset of the campus community that will have ripple effects around the world.
From important individual actions to systems changes, we are working with leadership, staff, students, and faculty to build a more sustainable campus together.
Learn more about how you can join this journey, on campus and beyond:
Events
Alternative Proteins 101 Lecture Series
The Waterloo Alt. Protein Project is a student design team focused on engineering the future of food through research, entrepreneurship, and innovation. We are one of Canada’s first chapters of The Good Food Institute (GFI), amongst almost 60 chapters worldwide.
Free Store Pop-ups
Drop by the Student Life Centre (SLC) Marketplace anytime between 11:00am and 1:00pm to donate your reusable goods to the Free Store.
Repair Workshop
Do you have any electronic appliances, kitchenware, clothing, or jewelry in need of repair?
4RepairKW is hosting a free repair workshop for the campus community. A band of repairers will be available to fix electrical items, sew or mend clothes, and sharpen knives and scissors, among other things!
News
Air Travel Emissions
To engage the UWaterloo community directly in the effort of tracking and reducing emissions, Finance and the Sustainability Office have collaborated to add a new voluntary field in Concur titled “carbon emissions” that asks Claimants who have booked and purchased their airfare out of pocket to voluntarily calculate and include the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their UW travel.
Waterloo is bringing back biodiversity
More than 400 Waterloo community members took part in naturalization initiatives to protect Waterloo's biodiversity.
Accelerating action at 10th annual Eco Summit
On November 22nd, 2023, the Sustainability Office hosted its 10th annual Eco Summit to accelerate sustainability action on campus.