Tag: Sustainability

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York University named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for seventh straight year

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York University has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the seventh straight year, gaining national recognition for reducing annual electrical consumption by 34,730,786 kWh, saving $5 million in utilities every year, and recycling 3,705,780 kg of waste.

York U staff, students and faculty gather for a day planting trees

“I am proud that York has been honoured as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers again, pushing us to set new goals and continually improve,” said Carol McAulay, vice-president, finance & administration. “York’s vision is to be a world leader in sustainability, a living lab, an incubator for sustainability leaders, a disrupter of old ways of thinking and a catalyst for transformative approaches that make an impact. Congratulations to all community members who have contributed to our collective efforts to make this great achievement possible.”

York University’s sustainability highlights

Named by Times Higher Ed as a global impact and innovation leader – 5 in Canada and 26 in the world, based on the United Nations sustainable development goals;

  • Successfully reduced the use of single occupant vehicles to the Keele campus from 70 per cent to 20 per cent;
  • York’s ZeroWaste program diverts 68 per cent of waste from landfills;
  • EcoCampus in Costa Rica is next to the largest rainforest ecosystem in Centre America;
  • York University offers more than 500 courses that relate to environmental and sustainability studies;
  • 22 kilometres of walking paths and more than 200 gardens, including the 2,000-sq-ft Maloca Community Garden; and
  • Water refill stations across the University replaced disposable water bottles.

Read more about York’s commitment to sustainability at http://sustainability.info.yorku.ca/.

A reminder to unplug! Turn off computers and appliances before the long weekend

York community members are reminded to switch off and unplug before leaving for the Easter long weekend.

It is also a good time to remind others in your area about the importance of shutting down computers, lights, small office or kitchen appliances and other personal electronics before leaving the office.

This simple gesture can yield tremendous results, given that staff and faculty operate more than 8,000 computers, and together the Keele and Glendon Campuses have more than 140,000 internal lights.

The ability to shut down certain electrical devices will vary depending on departmental requirements.

For information on reducing your own carbon footprint, visit the David Suzuki Foundation website. The Nature Conservatory of Canada has an easy-to-use carbon footprint calculator on its website.

FES marks 50 years with Day of Celebration

Since 1968, the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) at York University has been at the forefront of cutting-edge research, teaching and learning. As the first Faculty of Environmental Studies in Canada, it has remained focused on exploring the interconnections and disconnections between humans and the environments in which we live – the natural and ecological phenomena, political and social constructs, urban and rural spaces, and Indigenous, cultural and artistic ways of knowing.

During the 2018-19 academic year, FES celebrates 50 years of global research impact, dynamic teaching and experiential education, and fostering community participation and engaged citizenship.

The milestone will be recognized on Wednesday, April 24 during the FES 50th Anniversary: Day of Celebration that includes a daytime event from 12 to 5 p.m. and an evening event from 6 to 11 p.m.

FES invites faculty, staff, students and the community to celebrate its 50th year by taking a look back at its past, recognizing its present and envisioning its future. The event will highlight current faculty members, students and staff and also welcome former colleagues and alumni during the two-part event celebration, including Edward (Ted) Spence, former dean; Alex Murray, founding faculty member; and, Gerda Wekerle, first female faculty member.

Day Event: Convention Centre, Second Student Centre, 12 to 5 p.m.

“The Present of FES” is the theme of the Day Event, and includes opening remarks by FES Dean Alice Hovorka and remarks by York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton. It will highlight faculty research, the Dean’s Awards and celebrate the legacy of FES. There will be a lunch, followed by student presentations at 2 p.m., and a faculty panel at 2:30 p.m. There will also be a student showcase at 4 p.m.

Student presentations will include: Madeleine Lavin, MES candidate with “B is for Bug, O is for Oikos: A Partial Dictionary of Household Arthropods” and Victoria MacPhail, PhD candidate with “Value of Citizen Science for Bumble Bee Conservation.”

The faculty panel will focus on the theme “The Present of FES” and includes: Peter Victor, Deb Barndt, Anna Zalik, Laura Taylor, Peter Timmerman and Abidin Kusno.

The Day Event is free, and those interested should RSVP by adding the Day Event ticket to your cart in EventBrite.

Evening Event: Convention Centre, Second Student Centre, 6 to 11 p.m.

“The Past and Future of FES” is the theme of the Evening Event, and includes a registration and cocktail hour, followed by opening remarks by Hovorka on “Celebrating the Legacy of FES.” The evening continues with an alumni panel, and follows with a buffet reception and live entertainment.

The alumni panel will explore the topic of “The Past and Future of FES” and includes: Nishal Shah (BES ’15), Sean Hertle (MES ’12), Anique Jordan (MES ’14), Suzanne Brant (MES ’05), Leesa Fawcett (MES ’88, PhD ’02) and Sheila Colla (PhD ’13).

The Evening Event is $20 in advance or $25 at the door, and includes a drink ticket. To RSVP and purchase tickets, add the Evening Event ticket to your cart in EventBrite. Student tickets are pay-what-you-can at the door, and does not include a drink ticket.

For more information, visit the FES 50th Anniversary website.

York University tops new university global impact ranking

On April 3, Times Higher Education (THE) revealed the list of global leaders in the results of their new Impact rankings. Based on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed in 2016, the THE Impact ranking highlights how the higher education sector is contributing to international efforts to build a more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable world. York University has placed an impressive 26th in the world and fifth in Canada.

THE University Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ SDGs. THE evaluated more than 450 universities from 77 countries in the inaugural Impact ranking.

“Universities have never been more important as catalysts for positive change. We live in a world filled with incredible innovation, but also one facing serious and complex challenges. We need globally educated citizens able to work across traditional boundaries to build their own success and the success of their communities. We are very pleased to be recognized by the THE Impact ranking as a world leader in building the multi-sector partnerships and pioneering the new educational approaches that will help meet some of society’s most urgent demands – like confronting climate change and building more inclusive and equitable communities,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton.

These rankings reflect York’s significant contributions in producing the leaders of tomorrow, advancing fundamental and applied research, and the knowledge transfer for lasting impact on creating inclusive, sustainable and prosperous communities.

York University’s 2019 THE Impact rankings:

  • Global ranking: York University ranked No. 26 in the world.
  • THE Impact ranking by the United Nations’ SDG goal:
    • York ranked No. 25 in the world for UN SDG goal 10, “Reduced Inequality.”
    • York ranked No. 12 in the world for UN SDG goal 11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities.”
    • York ranked No. 22 in the world for UN SDG goal 12, “Consumption and Production.”
    • York ranked No. 14 in the world for UN SDG goal 13, “Climate Action.”
    • York ranked No. 19 in the world for UN SDG goal 17, “Partnerships for the goals.”

York University’s global reach includes more than 300 university, industry and NGO partners in over 70 countries. These partnerships provide York students, faculty, staff and alumni with opportunities to contribute solutions to global challenges.

This year marks York’s 6oth anniversary and 60 years of making an impact. The University is a diverse and inclusive community of engaged and innovative students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners who are dedicated to making a positive impact.

The next Sustainability Seminar examines food security

Dawn Bazely, University Professor and a faculty member in the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science, will deliver the next featured lecture in the Sustainability Seminar Series.

Her public lecture will take place on Thursday, March 28, from 12 to 1 p.m. in Room 125, Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, Keele Campus. The presentation is a special event to mark Red & White Day celebrations, all are welcome to attend.

On Inch by inch, row by row, learn some botanical information to help your garden grow! The 1937 Nobel prizewinner, Albert Szent-Györgi, reminded us that photosynthesis is “what drives life”, and “is a little current, kept up by the sunshine.” Every plant can take in carbon dioxide and water, and make simple sugars, while giving off oxygen.

Bazely is an ecologist in the field of plant-herbivore interactions. She will discuss the food security and its role in in building a sustainable future. She will also share some botany basics to help you understand the importance of native biodiversity, and how it is not incompatible with growing a garden using local vegetables and herbs.

Labour leader to urge students to combat climate change in the workplace

He has been an organic farmer, postal worker and union leader, and was named Labour Environmentalist of the Year. Before the Canadian unions became leaders in the struggle to slow climate change, Donald Lafleur, executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, was training unionists about climate bargaining and green plans, and working with postal sorting stations, factories and offices to adapt the way they work in order to slow the climate warming that is threatening life as we know it.

Donald Lafleur

Lafleur’s linking of work with climate change is opening a whole new path of study and research. He will speak to students enrolled in Social Sciences 1510, “The Future of Work,” taught by David Langille on Friday, March 15 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., in Room 102 Accolade East Building, (Price Family Theatre) at the Keele Campus. The lecture is open to the public.

In 2014, Lafleur was elected executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress and re-elected in 2017 — Canada’s central union federation with more than three million members.  Since being elected he has taken the climate message everywhere: to the massive climate marches in New York City; the COPs of the Paris Agreement that take place every year; to children’s’ climate activist marches, union halls and workplaces; and to York University. His message – climate change will be the most important force changing the world of work that students will encounter, but the threat of climate change is also creating a whole new world of jobs and ways of working. Students can take a leading role in adapting work itself to slow the causes of climate change.

While many universities are just beginning to take the threat of climate change to how we work seriously, Lafleur has been working with York University faculty and students since 2012. When he talks to the students enrolled in the Future of Work course, the first course in the Work and Labour Studies program, he will be stressing that students hold the future in their hands, and that there will be literally millions of new and established jobs worldwide that will focus on a “green transition” that will make us work differently.

Lafleur has also been closely involved with the Work in a Warming World (W3) research program. He is the associate director of W3’s present project, “Adapting Canadian Work and Workplaces to Respond to Climate Change,” a $2.5 million-dollar, seven-year research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and headed by York University Professor Carla Lipsig-Mumme. The research project has twice been profiled by the United Nations and has employed more than 100 students, most of whom, but not all, at York University.

Sustainability Leadership Awards nominations due March 15

Photo by Singkham from Pexels

Photo by Singkham from PexelsNominations for the President’s Sustainability Leadership Awards are now open. Nominations will be accepted until March 18.

The awards recognize students, faculty and staff who are contributing to make York University a leader in sustainability among post-secondary institutions.

By recognizing the important work that sustainability champions are doing at York University, the awards celebrate this work and encourage others to get involved in sustainability initiatives on the University’s campuses.

Up to five awards will be given out each year.

Any student, faculty or staff member from the University community can nominate any other individual or group for consideration. Nominees will be considered for the award based on their demonstrated leadership in sustainability, specifically through the following criteria:

1) overall impact of the nominee’s contributions to sustainability on campus, including the depth (how significant the contribution is) and breadth (how widespread, collaborative and/or replicable the contribution is);

2) degree of innovation and originality, and/or degree of enhancement (to existing initiatives); and

3) how the individual or group went “over and above the call of duty” (additional time and resources committed that were not part of their job description or academic program).

To submit a nomination, visit the President’s Sustainability Leadership Awards web page.

For more information, contact Nicole Arsenault, program director, sustainability, by email at narsenau@yorku.ca or 416-736-5866.

Training offered to students for United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

York University will once again host the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) training, where students will have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the SDGs and be connected with organizations that offer opportunities to become an SDG advocate.

The UN SDGs Youth Training Canada mobilizes 10,000 Canadian youth to advocate and implement the SDGs through 100 local actions and 50 trainings in colleges and universities across Canada.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals developed by the UN in 2015 that help to better understand and solve a wide range of global environmental challenges, including: climate change, food security, ecological and wildlife preservation, gender equality, economic prosperity and access to education. By spreading awareness of the 17 UN SDGs, future generations will be inspired to act and solve the many environmental challenges we face today.

During this event, which will be held on March 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Vari Hall, students will interact with UN officials, policy-makers and civil society activists who identified, created and are implementing the SDGs around the world.

Students who successfully complete the training will receive a certificate to add to their resume.

The Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University has partnered with the Foundation of Environmental Stewardship, the YU Office of Sustainability, the Bachelor in Environmental Studies Students’ Association (BESSA) and others to bring this event to the Keele Campus for the second year. This event provides students with a unique experiential education opportunity to learn about the 17 SDGs directly from UN officials.

In addition, this event is partnered with 23 United Nations entities.

In partnership with the Faculty of Environmental Studies, this event is brought to you by the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship and BESSA.

For more information, visit the event website; to register, visit the registration website.

Call for nominations: Sustainability Leadership Awards

Photo by Singkham from Pexels

Photo by Singkham from PexelsNominations for the President’s Sustainability Leadership Awards are now open. Nominations will be accepted until March 18.

The awards recognize students, faculty and staff who are contributing to make York University a leader in sustainability among post-secondary institutions.

By recognizing the important work that sustainability champions are doing at York University, the awards celebrate this work and encourage others to get involved in sustainability initiatives on the University’s campuses.

Up to five awards will be given out each year.

Any student, faculty or staff member from the University community can nominate any other individual or group for consideration. Nominees will be considered for the award based on their demonstrated leadership in sustainability, specifically through the following criteria:

1) overall impact of the nominee’s contributions to sustainability on campus, including the depth (how significant the contribution is) and breadth (how widespread, collaborative and/or replicable the contribution is);

2) degree of innovation and originality, and/or degree of enhancement (to existing initiatives); and

3) how the individual or group went “over and above the call of duty” (additional time and resources committed that were not part of their job description or academic program).

To submit a nomination, visit the President’s Sustainability Leadership Awards web page.

For more information, contact Nicole Arsenault, program director, sustainability, by email at narsenau@yorku.ca or 416-736-5866.

Next Sustainability Seminar explores the dual face of sustainability reporting

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Charles Cho

Charles Cho, professor of accounting, the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability and the director of the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Business at the Schulich School of Business at York University will deliver the next featured lecture in the Sustainability Seminar Series. His public lecture will take place on Thursday, Feb. 28, from 12 to 1 p.m. in Room 125, Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, Keele Campus. All are welcome to attend.

Cho’s seminar titled “Sustainability Reporting: Frontstage, Backstage, Façades and Hypocrisy” takes direct aim at differing public face (frontstage) and private (backstage) actions of corporations. Specifically, he will look at the growing pervasiveness of sustainability discourse (or reporting) and how, despite its potential to help corporations be more accountable and transparent about their social and environmental impacts, there has been growing criticism asserting that such reporting is utilized primarily as an impression management tool.

This is illustrated by the contrast between companies’ frontstage (public) sustainability communications on environmental stewardship and responsibility, and their less visible but proactive backstage political activities (Goffman’s terms). He will explore the backstage activities targeted to facilitate the passage of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Bill – a legislation that would allow oil exploration and drilling of the most sensitive environmental areas in the refuge. This persistent significant gap between corporate sustainability talk and practice also leads to the argument that contradictory societal and institutional pressures, as well as conflicting stakeholder demands, require organizations to engage in hypocrisy and develop façades, thereby severely limiting the prospects that sustainability reports will ever evolve into substantive disclosures.

Cho’s research interests encompass social and environmental accounting, corporate social responsibility and accounting and the public interest. He has published extensively and his papers have been featured in academic journals such as the Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, the European Accounting Review and the Journal of Business Ethics. Cho was also an invited author of chapters in several books. His work has been presented at various national and international conferences such as the American Accounting Association (AAA) Annual Meeting, the Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA), the European Accounting Association (EAA) Annual Congress and the International Congresses on Social and Environmental Accounting Research.

An engaging and dynamic speaker, Cho is regularly invited as a plenary keynote speaker at international conferences and is actively involved in the academic community as a council member of the Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research and Chair of the International Associates Committee.

This lecture is part of a seminar series offered through the President’s Sustainability Council. The lecture is free and open to the public, all are welcome.