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
Green Ambassador Earth Day Picnic
Join the Sustainability Office for an informal picnic with Green Office and Green Labs ambassadors, in celebration of Earth Day.
April Repair Event
Drop-in repair event with 4RepairKW and The Working Centre.
Seedling Swap 2026
It's officially growing season! From May 13-14, the Sustainability Office will be hosting a seedling swap to engage the campus community on gardening, food security, and local food systems.
News
Air quality monitoring on campus
Global Environmental Measurement and Monitoring (GEMM) has three Sustainability Action Fund projects which focus on improving air quality monitoring and reducing traffic and greenhouse gas emissions on campus. They also aim to demonstrate the need for increasing measurement and monitoring of environmental parameters at a local scale.
The success of Renison’s eco-container program
Renison University College partnered with the Sustainability Action Fund (SAF) to provide reusable eco-containers to their incoming first year residents for free. The program has a 95% success rate and students have incredibly positive feedback.
Reducing climate anxiety and strengthening sustainability education with the Climate Institute
Over the past two years, the Climate Institute has had three projects funded by the Sustainability Action Fund. These projects focus on reducing climate anxiety and strengthening climate teaching and learning at the University of Waterloo.