From the President
At the University of Waterloo, sustainability is more than a buzz-word. We are committed to being a global leader when it comes to sustainability.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals present an important global framework that is pushing countries, communities, and organizations to collectively work toward a prosperous, equitable, and ecologically sustainable world.
Within this inaugural report, you will discover how many on-going campus initiatives are aligning with these global targets. These efforts include the Environmental Sustainability Strategy, Climate Action Plan, EDI-R and Indigenous initiatives, and the development of experiential education and wellness programming.
The University of Waterloo was the founding institution and the host of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Canada until 2024. We leverage our position as home to Canada’s largest Faculty of Environment to share knowledge, activate research and help solve the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world.
Sustainable Development Goals play an integral role in our institution’s Sustainability Strategy. The strategy commits Waterloo to be a leader in sustainability education and research, operate a sustainable campus, and imbed sustainability into our campus culture.
We continue to uncover innovative ways to meet and exceed our commitments moving forward. These measures include striving towards net-zero operations, but equally as important, fostering a community culture of diversity and inclusion.
The challenges of sustainable development are complex and interconnected. As we continue
to witness, global threats like the pandemic and climate change compound existing social and economic inequities.
The SDGs provide a roadmap towards a more sustainable future, but that roadmap only goes so far. Together, we need to commit to doing our part individually and collectively to ensure success. I hope this web document inspires our community to continue on this path.
