DP and Tatham Centre with fall foliage in foreground
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm EST (GMT -05:00)

Eco Summit 2025: The Next Chapter

Overview

The Sustainability Office invites you to join us for our twelfth-annual Eco Summit, bringing together the campus community to showcase and celebrate sustainability achievements, build connections and collaboration opportunities, and inspire collective action for the year ahead. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome and encouraged to attend.

The end of 2025 brings Waterloo’s first Environmental Sustainability Strategy to a close. This year’s summit will focus on looking ahead to the next chapter of our campus sustainability journey: where we are going, how we will get there, and how everyone on campus can meaningfully contribute.

This year’s event will feature:

  • Launch of 2025 Environmental Sustainability Report
  • Case study presentations from student, staff, and faculty champions leading exciting sustainability initiatives
  • Booth showcase from student groups and departments leading sustainability efforts across campus
  • Green Office, Green Labs, Green Residence, and Sustainability Leadership Certificate awards
  • Interactive activities and networking opportunities weaved throughout

The event will take place on Wednesday, November 26 from 1-4:30pm in Fed Hall. Light refreshments will be provided. Doors will open at 12:30pm for check-in and networking.

Speakers

We have an incredible line-up of speakers who are leading exciting and impactful sustainability initiatives across campus, including:

MC & Host

Mat Thijssen headshot

Mat Thijssen
Director of Sustainability
Sustainability Office 

Awards & Closing Remarks

President Vivek Goel headshot

Vivek Goel
President & Vice-Chancellor

Case Study Presenters

Amanda Armstrong headshot

Amanda Armstrong
UW Society for Ecological Restoration Bird Team Co-Lead
MSc McGuire Lab

Saskia taking a selfie

Saskia Coossa
Green Residence Ambassador
2A Health Sciences

Curtis Goodbrand headshot

Curtis Goodbrand
Scrum Master and Project Manager, Residence Facilities
Campus Housing

Jonathan Hyde headshot

Jonathan Hyde
Associate Director, Infrastructure Development
Plant Operations

Gurasis Kaur headshot

Gurasis Kaur
Green Residence Ambassador
2A Arts & Business (Economics)

Laura Ross headshot

Laura Ross
Impact Alliance
4A Environment, Resources and Sustainability

Erin Schmidt headshot

Erin Schmidt 
GEMM Research Project Manager
Global Environmental Measurement and Monitoring

Sarem Tadesse headshot

Sarem Tadesse
Impact Alliance
4A Arts & Business (Psychology Major, HRM Minor)

Booths

We are excited to have many campus partners joining us for our booth showcase, including:

  • Bike Centre
  • Campus Compost
  • Centre for Career Development
  • Climate Justice Ecosystem
  • Ecology Lab
  • Food Services
  • Green Residence Ambassador reps
  • GreenHouse
  • Impact Alliance
  • Society for Ecological Restoration
  • Sustainable Transportation
  • UW Cycling Club
  • UW Repair Club
  • UW Sew-Ciety
  • Water Institute
  • Waterloo Climate Institute
  • Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy

Agenda

TIME ACTIVITY
12:301:00pm Registration and networking
1:001:20pm Opening remarks and icebreaker activity
1:201:45pm 2025 Sustainability Report highlights
1:452:00pm Interactive table activity
2:00–2:50pm Case study presentations
2:50–3:40pm Booth showcase, networking, and refreshments
3:40–4:00pm Green Office, Green Labs, Green Residence and Sustainability Leadership Certificate awards
4:00–4:20pm Interactive activity
4:20–4:30pm Concluding remarks

Eco Summit Booth Showcase Terms and Conditions

Eco Summit 2025 Booth Activity
Official Contest Rules (“Contest Rules”)
1. Sponsor. The Eco Summit 2025 Booth Activity (“Contest”) is sponsored by the University of Waterloo, Sustainability Office, located at 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 (“Sponsor”).
2. Eligibility. This Contest is open to legal residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory of residence at the time of entry. Employees of the Sponsor, its parent, related and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, departments or agencies, franchisees, suppliers, advertising and promotional agencies, contest administrators, and any other parties engaged in the development, production, or distribution of Contest materials, and those living in the same household are not eligible to enter. By participating in this Contest, entrants acknowledge compliance with, and agree to be bound by, these Contest Rules. Entrants who do not comply with any of the Contest Rules are subject to disqualification by the Sponsor, at the Sponsor’s sole discretion.
3. Contest Dates and Times. The Contest begins on November 26, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. EST and ends on November 26, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. EST (“Contest End Date”) after which time the Contest will be closed and no further entries will be accepted.
4. How to Enter. Entrants can enter by completing a bingo card with their contact information on the back of the card. For this Contest, receipt of an internet entry occurs when the Sponsor’s internet server records the entry information. All entries must be complete and are subject to verification by the Sponsor, in its sole discretion. There is a limit of (one) 1, per person as represented by one (1) email address for which they are the owner.
Alternatively, to obtain one (1) Entry in the Contest without completing a bingo card with their contact information on the back of the card, print your first name, last name, complete mailing address (including postal code), valid email address, age and signature on a plain white piece of paper and mail it (in an envelope with sufficient Canadian postage) along with a 25 word or more unique and original essay on why you want to enter the Contest to: sustainability@uwaterloo.ca (a “Request”). Upon receipt of a valid Request in accordance with these Contest Rules, you will be eligible to receive one (1) Entry in the Contest. To be eligible, your Request must: (i) be received separately in an envelope bearing sufficient Canadian postage (i.e., multiple Requests in the same envelope will be void); and (ii) be post-marked during the Contest Period and received prior to the Selection Date (defined below). The Sponsor takes no responsibility for any lost, stolen, delayed, illegible, damaged, misdirected, late or destroyed Requests.
Any attempt or suspected attempt to use robotic, automatic, programmed or otherwise illicit means to enter the Contest, or any other methods not authorized by these Contest Rules, for example, but not limited to, creating multiple accounts, identities, or registrations, all in the Sponsor’s sole discretion, shall be deemed as tampering and may disqualify you from entering, practicing and/or winning a Prize. Entries that contain false
or incomplete information are void. Entries that are late, lost, stolen, illegible, contain false information, are damaged, miscredited, mutilated, garbled or incomplete, altered or otherwise irregular or that do not conform with or satisfy any or all of the conditions of the Contest Rules are void. Entrants grant the Sponsor a non-exclusive license to use all entries for any purpose. No correspondence will be entered into except with Selected Entrants, as defined below. Proof of Transmission (for example, screenshots or captures) does not constitute proof of entry or receipt of an entry.
5. Contest Prizes. There is a total of (two) 2 prizes available to be won, each consisting of 2 x $25 gift card to Uptown Dollars (“Prize”).
All winners assume any and all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused, by entering, participating in this Contest or the use or redemption of a Prize. Prizes must be accepted as awarded and it is understood and acknowledged that they have no cash value. Prizes or any portion of a Prize cannot be combined with other discounts, promotions, or special offers. The Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any Prize in whole or in part in the event that all or any component of such Prize is unavailable with a Prize or Prize component(s) of equal or greater retail value, including, without limitation, but solely at the Sponsor’s sole discretion, a cash award. All characteristics and features of the Prize, except as otherwise explicitly stated above, are at the Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion. The Prize winner is solely responsible for all costs not expressly described herein. Prepaid cards are subject to all of the terms and conditions as stated by the issuer.
6. Odds of Winning. It is understood and acknowledged that the odds of winning are unfixed and wholly dependent on the number of eligible entries received before the Contest End Date.
7. Skill-testing Question. Selected Entrants will be required, as a condition of winning a Prize, to correctly answer, without assistance of any kind, the Sponsor’s time-limited, mathematical skill-testing question to be administered by email.
8. Winner Selection and Confirmation. On November 28, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. EST at CPH 2385, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L3G1 (“Draw Date”) the Sponsor, or an employee, agent or other representative of the Sponsor, will conduct a random draw from all eligible entries received before the Contest End Date and select the potential winners (“Selected Entrants”). Selected Entrants will be deemed winners if they meet all of the eligibility criteria set out in these Contest Rules. If a Selected Entrant does not meet the eligibility criteria, they will be disqualified and will not receive a Prize and another entrant will be selected by way of a random draw from the remaining eligible entries. Before being declared a winner, Selected Entrants will be required to: (i) correctly answer the Sponsor’s skill-testing question; and (ii) comply with all other Contest Rules, all in the sole discretion of Sponsor.
Selected Entrants will be notified within (five) 5 business days of the Draw Date and will be contacted by the email address provided at the time of entry into the Contest. Up to three (3) attempts will be made to contact Selected Entrants within (five) 5 business
days following the Draw Date. A Selected Entrant that does not or cannot accept a Prize may be forfeited and a new Selected Entrant will be selected by random draw, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. A signed copy of the Sponsor’s Winner Release must be received by the Sponsor no later than December 4, 2025. The Sponsor is not responsible for the failure for any reason whatsoever of a Selected Entrant to receive notification or for the Sponsor to receive a Selected Entrant’s response.
Disputes regarding the identity of an entrant: If the identity of a Selected Entrant is disputed, the entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the individual assigned to the email address entered at the time of entry (“Authorized Account Holder”). Each Selected Entrant may be required to provide proof that they are the Authorized Account Holder associated with a selected entry.
9. Release and Indemnification. All winners must sign the Sponsor’s Winner Release to: (i) confirm compliance with all Contest Rules; (ii) agree to accept Prizes as awarded; (iii) release, discharge and hold harmless the Sponsor, its departments and agencies, parent, related and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, franchisees, advertising and promotional agencies, counsel, marketing partners, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, shareholders, successors, sponsors, partners, licensees, subsidiaries, agents, artists, advisors, assignees, and all others associated with the administration, development and execution of the Contest (“Released Parties”) from and against any and all manner of action, cause of action, claim or demand, loss or injury, use or misuse of a Prize or any travel related thereto, and the use of entries by the Sponsor, suit, debt, covenant, contract, including legal fees and expenses, whatsoever, including but not limited to, claims based on negligence, breach of contract and fundamental breach, failure of any third-party contractor or supplier used in connection with any aspect of the Contest to perform or deliver any goods or services, any act of God or any other event beyond the Released Parties’ control, any dissatisfaction of any kind by a winner with any aspect of the Contest or any Prize, liability for physical injury, death, or property damage which the entrants, guests, their heirs, successors or assigns have, might have or could have suffered, by reason of or arising out of the entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or in connection with the acceptance and/or exercise by the entrant of Prizes as awarded; and (iv) indemnify the Released Parties against any loss, damage or expense, including legal fees, that any of the Released Parties may suffer or incur as a result of any non-compliance by entrants with any of the Contest Rules or participation in the Contest and/or in connection with the acceptance and/or exercise by an entrant of a Prize, and the use of entries by the Sponsor.
The Sponsor is not responsible for: (i) incorrect or inaccurate entry information that may affect a person’s ability to participate in the Contest or be awarded a Prize, including but not limited to human error, technical malfunctions, lost or delayed entries for any reason, mail failures, omission, or any combination thereof, and entries that fail to fully comply with these Contest Rules; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (iii) lost, incomplete, delayed, mutilated or misdirected entries or Winner Releases; (iv) injury or damage to entrant’s computers or to any other individual’s computer related to or resulting from participating in, or downloading any material
regarding the Contest or accepting a Prize; (v) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any Prize, including any related travel and the use of entries by Sponsor; (vi) the security or privacy of information transmitted via computer networks or for breaches of privacy due to interference by third-party computer hackers or otherwise; or (vii) late, lost, misdirect, or unsuccessful efforts to notify a potential winner.
10. Primacy of the Contest Rules. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of these Contest Rules and disclosures or other statements contained in any Contest-related materials, including, but not limited to, any instructions or interpretations of these Contest Rules given by any representative of the Sponsor, the terms and conditions of these Contest Rules shall prevail, govern and control to the fullest extent permitted by law.
11. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Contest Rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Contest Rules shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with the terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.
12. Other Conditions. The Sponsor reserves the right to terminate or amend this Contest at any time and in any way, without prior notice to entrants. Without limiting the foregoing, if, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned for any reason, the Sponsor reserves the right to cancel the Contest and conduct a random draw from all previously received eligible entries received by the Contest End Date.
13. Publicity and Entrant Information. By participating in the Contest, entrants consent to the use of their name, address, email address, postal code, telephone number, social media handle(s), comments and image, whether on videotape, photograph or any other means, for the administration of the Contest or any publicity carried out by the Sponsor, any co-sponsors, their respective parent and affiliate companies, agents and representatives, and marketing partners, without further notice than that contained herein or any compensation.
14. Law. The Contest is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable Canadian federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and local laws. This Contest shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the province of Ontario, and the laws of Canada applicable therein, including all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Contest Rules, rights and obligations between entrants and the Sponsor, and procedural provisions, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law. Any dispute shall be adjudicated by the courts sitting in Waterloo, Ontario.
15. Rule Amendments. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or modify these Contest Rules, or modify, cancel, or suspend this Contest, without prior notice for any reason whatsoever, without limitation in the event that any cause beyond
the reasonable control of the Sponsor corrupts, or threatens to corrupt, the security or proper administration of the Contest.
16. Intellectual Property. All intellectual property, including but not limited to trademarks, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source codes, images, drawings, illustrations, slogans, and representations are owned by the Sponsor. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized copying or use of any of the Sponsor’s intellectual property without the express written consent of the Sponsor is strictly prohibited.
17. Use of Personal Information. By entering this Contest, each entrant expressly consents to the Sponsor, its agents and/or representatives, collection, use, storing and sharing the personal information submitted for the purpose of administering the Contest under the authority of the University of Waterloo Act, 1972 and in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F. 31 as amended, as well as in compliance with the Sponsor’s policies (e.g. Policy 46) and guidelines. This section does not limit any other consent(s) that an individual may provide the Sponsor or others in relation to the collection, use and/or disclosure of their personal information. Personal Information will be used for Contest Sponsor(s) marketing purposes with the entrant’s consent. Entrants acknowledge that questions regarding the processing of personal information associated with this Contest are to be directed to sustainability@uwaterloo.ca.
© UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO 2025. All Rights Reserved.