How one professor is engaging community to shrink York’s carbon footprint

November 29, 2023

York Professor Burkard Eberlein, from the Schulich School of Business, set out to reduce the University’s carbon emissions in his 2021-23 Provostial Fellowship.

Through the program, Fellows have traditionally engaged the community to take action on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Challenge – a key commitment of the University Academic Plan.

Eberlein’s project, “Advancing Carbon Neutrality at York: Reimagining Mobility,” took aim at reducing emissions from commuting and travel to studying, research and carrying out University business activities.

In 2022, Eberlein surveyed York community members about their travel and commuting routines, and this year he released a video highlighting the University’s current carbon footprint with a call to action suggesting how community members can help reduce it.

Here’s a look at the inspiration behind his work.

Q: What was the thinking behind creating this video and what did you hope to achieve?
A: I was looking for engaging and fun ways to communicate my findings to the wider community. I wanted this to be something we could all relate to and that would work as a call to action.

I worked with Alexandre Magnin, a francophone illustrator, who produced this animated video (available in English and French). Alex has a YouTube channel called “Sustainability illustrated” and he does excellent videos on sustainability that I have used before in my teaching. I provided the script and Alex produced this fantastic work to engage the community in thinking about ways they can help York achieve its net zero before 2040 target.

Q: What are some concrete ways community members can make an impact?
A: First thing, just be more mindful of the choices that you make when it comes to commuting and travel. Many of us have habits and routines that we can examine more closely. For example, if you’re driving to campus regularly, are there ways you can set up a car pool with colleagues or classmates? This would be a small but meaningful, positive change.

Bike share station on York University's Keele campus — A bike share station on York University’s Keele Campus.

Below are some concrete steps that people can take, along with advocating to get more community members involved:

Taking the bus or the subway can reduce emissions by around six (bus) and 30 (subway) times compared to driving alone.
Walking and biking generate virtually no emissions and York is investing in bike share programs.
Driving an electric car typically generates a third of the emissions compared to fossil fuel vehicles.
When driving a car, the more people in it the more efficient it becomes.
Make your business travel count and consider whether you can deliver a presentation remotely or think about conference travel sustainably.

Q: What is your biggest takeaway or lesson learned from this project?
A: Change is hard and it requires both passion and perseverance. Begin with small steps and make sure to involve all of your fellow community members and partners. By coming together, we can show what is possible to right the future.

Eberlein is co-chair of the Transportation Working Group that will develop proposals in this area (e.g. York business travel policy), in the context of York’s new sustainability framework. He is also looking forward to sharing his comprehensive slide deck and report on how York can reduce carbon emissions from commuting and business travel when it is officially released.

Learn more about Eberlein’s work as a curricular champion to support the UN SDGs and his work to engage students in reducing York’s carbon footprint.

Watch the video here:

C4 partnership to tackle climate anxiety

November 24, 2023

By Alexander Huls, deputy editor, YFile

York University’s C4: Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom program has partnered with GHD – an award-winning international company that offers engineering, architecture and construction services – and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to help students tackle climate anxiety.

Over the course of the upcoming 12-week winter term, up to 70 undergraduates will work with the partners to pursue multidisciplinary projects exploring the term’s challenge question: “How can we help young people in the Greater Toronto Area overcome climate anxiety, to be empowered to inform and drive our future pathways to an equitable and sustainable city?”

As the students develop their collaborative projects, GHD and TRCA will provide 10 to 20 hours of guidance throughout the term, including bringing in subject matter experts to participate, encourage and answer any technical questions that might arise.

GHD became interested in partnering with C4 while working on an environmental project with York, eager to find an opportunity to collaborate further with the University. “We were instantly interested in the C4 Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom and how it engages multidisciplinary teams to solve some of the world’s biggest problems,” says Tina Marano, GHD’s future communities leader, Canada, who will be involved with the program and students throughout the C4 winter term.

Early meetings with C4 made clear that a partnership would be a natural fit. “With GHD there was a clear alignment around our interests and values,” says Danielle Robinson, associate professor and co-founder of C4.

Like C4, GHD prioritizes sustainability in its work – with a focus on water, energy, infrastructure, and sustainable cities and communities – and seeks to drive positive change and make meaningful contributions to global sustainability goals.

GHD also shares an optimism that’s rooted in the capstone program and experience. “We’re a very positive, hopeful space. We think that we and our students can make a difference in the world and that we just need to figure out how to organize ourselves in order to do that,” says Robinson. “We need a partner that believes in those things.”

GHD does, says Marano. “Working with young professionals and new graduates across our organization and through partnerships like this, we nurture a culture that embraces optimism, collaboration, experimentation and curiosity,” she says.

The partnership with the TRCA acting as the community stakeholder followed soon after, and the organization echoes the shared goals of its partners. “We’re a community-based organization, so we want to look to our communities to help us find the solutions to the problems that we all face together,” says Darryl Gray, director, education and training at TRCA.

In the weeks ahead, the aim – as it is for all C4 partnerships – for the program is to benefit both partners and students.

For partners, the participating students provide fresh insights and point-of-views that are needed to right the future. “What we have found is getting the student and multidisciplinary perspective can often bring new ideas and approaches to the partners that they might not have considered before,” adds Franz Newland, professor and co-founder of C4 with Robinson.

“We need to work and think differently. We need to collaborate and exchange ideas with bright, young minds and emerging leaders that believe that change and impact is possible,” agrees Marano.

Partners working with undergraduate students also provides an opportunity through experiential learning to develop skills needed for them to, potentially, pursue a sustainability career. “Among the broader conversation we are having with York is, ‘How do we make sure that post-secondary institutions are meeting the workforce development needs of future employers?’ ” says Gray.

Opportunities like these can help provide that, closing a potential onboarding gap with developing skills students will need if they enter the sustainability field – whether with C4 partners or other organizations.

In addition to benefiting with real-world experience and connections to leading organizations, students also gain critical confidence in their abilities and potential to create change. “One of the things that we hope we uniquely offer our students is a chance to really find out who they are as leaders,” says Robinson.

“Organizations like GHD and TRCA help empower their voices so that they can feel there are people who are keen to listen,” says Newland.

That, he says, is a crucial element for this generation of students who can often feel anxious about the climate crisis without knowing what they can do about it, and if their point-of-view will even be heard.

“Often in these spaces there’s a sense of impotence or inability to actually take action, which is part of that challenge,” says Newland. “The fact that organizations like this are looking to engage students’ voices really points to the fact that they recognize that the existing solutions maybe aren’t doing what we need, and we need to be thinking about listening to other voices that may actually have a better path forward.”

The C4 program and its partners help them do that. “They get a chance to find out what skills and knowledge they have and what they can do with them to address a particular challenge the world is facing. It gives them a chance to see what they’re capable of in a really safe space where they can test their boundaries, fail, succeed,” says Robinson. “They want to feel empowered, to help repair the world. They need to see what their contribution might be.”

Applications for C4 are still open: yorku.ca/c4/apply-for-c4/winter-2024.

York community key in new target to achieve net-zero emissions a decade early

November 23, 2023

Net Zero 2040 Sustainability Announcement York University

Faculty, staff and students at York University will be part of a progressive next step to build a more sustainable future for all as outlined by a new aspirational target for the University to reach net-zero emissions a decade earlier than originally planned.

Shared on Nov. 23 by President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton during a special event, the announcement highlights one of the most ambitious net-zero targets in the Canadian post-secondary sector.

With bold ambition to become one of the most sustainable institutions in Canada, York University is accelerating its timeline and aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 – a decade sooner than its previous commitment. 

The new aspirational target is part of York’s renewed sustainability policy, which includes a commitment to develop and implement a process to track, measure, evaluate and report progress toward net-zero emissions.

To support this ambition, York recently released its own comprehensive emissions data and ecological footprint assessment from the Ecological Footprint Initiative – a group of York’s scholars, students, researchers and collaborating organizations working together to advance the measurement of ecological footprint and biocapacity – making it the first Canadian institution to do so. This new report provides York with information to identify opportunities to reduce its emissions and develop innovative solutions to support a more sustainable future.

“The United Nations has stated that climate change is the defining issue of our time, and the world is at a pivotal moment requiring urgent action,” says Lenton. “As an internationally recognized leader in sustainability, York University has a responsibility to act on global challenges facing humanity, including ecological degradation, climate change and growing socio-economic inequality. The bold actions we are taking on our campuses, and in our local and global communities, will build on the strong foundation we have created and move us closer to our goal of becoming one of the most sustainable institutions in Canada.”

York’s ability to strive toward ambitious sustainable change is due in part to the expertise, experience and forward thinking that takes place across its campuses. The University draws on the strengths of its diverse community to approach sustainability through a holistic lens of collaboration, innovation and knowledge mobilization.

As a core value of the institution, York has embedded sustainability in every aspect of University life – teaching, learning, research and operations. An example of this expertise in action can be found in projects supported through York’s Sustainability Innovation Fund, including a green career fair, a campus composting centre and more.

To further advance the cutting-edge sustainability research done by the York community, the University announced a new $1-million allocation to the fund, which is currently accepting applications for projects that advance the University’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as contribute to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action).

The power of community engagement to create positive change has long been part of York’s legacy in becoming a more sustainable university. Activities conducted through the Office of Sustainability and sustainability-focused student groups empower York students, faculty and staff to take part in events such as campus clean-ups, film screenings, learning opportunities and tree plantings. In the past two years, community members have planted over 1,000 trees on the Glendon and Keele campuses.

The York community is also being engaged though consultations that are currently underway to update the Sustainability Strategy, with an aim of completion for spring 2024. York students, faculty, instructors and staff can provide their input in person or virtually to shape York’s sustainability priorities and help create a more sustainable future.

“Sustainability starts with our own actions,” said Mike Layton, York’s chief sustainability officer. “We also have a responsibility to our communities – locally and beyond – to ensure we are all contributing to advancing environmental and social sustainability across society. This new announcement demonstrates York’s commitment to sustainability and I look forward to the many ways we will work with the community in service of our new target.”

The Nov. 23 event included a panel about how York is using data and innovative solutions to shrink its footprint. Insights were also shared by York experts, including: Eric Miller, director of the Ecological Footprint Initiative in the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change; Pirathayini Srikantha, associate professor and Canada Research Chair in Reliable and Secure Power Grid Systems at York’s Lassonde School of Engineering; Usman Khan, associate professor at Lassonde; and Steve Prince, director, Energy Management, Facilities Services at York.

The announcement also featured a short play with students from York’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design; a short video about sustainable travel by Burkard Eberlein, former provostial Fellow and professor from York’s Schulich School of Business; and samples of Las Nubes coffee for attendees to take home. After nearly a decade, Las Nubes coffee has made its way back to Canada and is available in select locations on York’s campuses, including Central Square and Glendon Marché. Part of the proceeds from the coffee sales will go toward supporting York’s Las Nubes Research and Conservation Program.

For more on the event, visit News@York.

Students offer forward-thinking sustainability solutions at UNHack

November 22, 2023

Three teams were recognized among the 400 students who took part in the annual York University UNHack event, a weekend-long experiential learning opportunity to collaborate and create innovative solutions to pressing global sustainability issues, many related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Organized by the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology program at the Lassonde School of Engineering, students from diverse backgrounds worked in teams to harness their creativity to develop forward-thinking solutions to challenges ranging from clean water access to equal education opportunities.

With an emphasis on teamwork, students were encouraged to overcome challenges and embrace creativity through effective communication and problem solving.

“Our goal has always been to foster an environment where small ideas can spark significant changes, says Maedeh Sedaghat, program manager at BEST. “Through this experience, our students embarked on a transformative journey that transcends the boundaries of a traditional classroom. Witnessing students express themselves, step out of their comfort zone, and cultivate a mindset that nurtures creativity has been truly inspiring. We celebrate not only the solutions created but the personal growth, resilience and collaborative spirit that will undoubtedly shape these students into future leaders and changemakers.”

Over 80 teams presented their ideas to a panel of judges in the preliminary round and the top eight presented at the final judging. The winners were:

First place: Campus Compass

Students: Natha Brindley-Reid, Aryan Banwait, Aayman Kareem, Mathewos Beyene, Sim Yu Lau.
Campus Compass developed a clever campus booking system, simplifying facility and service reservations for students on campus. This innovative solution streamlines everyday tasks, making student lives more efficient.

Second Place: DripDrop Water Management

Students: Declan Palmateer, Elvis Kuang, Marco Luong, Darrick Simm.
DripDrop developed an application that monitors the sound of running water and creates a competitive environment by encouraging users to reduce their water use and conserve water.

Third Place: Career Path AI System

Students: Peter Gituma, Pranav Kulkarni, Prakriti Biswas, Arshpreet Singh Vasal, Kanwar Parth Singh.
The Career Path AI System was developed to help guide students through their career journey, empowering them to make informed decisions about their future.

For more information about the UNHack event, visit lassonde.yorku.ca/best/unhack.

New book examines decarbonization, sustainability in Canadian energy systems

November 21, 2023

A new book co-edited by York University Professor Mark Winfield, of the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change, explores pathways to decarbonization and sustainability in Canadian energy systems.

The book Sustainable Energy Transitions in Canada addresses the urgent need for Canadian energy systems to adapt and evolve to respond to the challenge of climate change while advancing sustainability. The transition needs to decarbonize energy systems while promoting social justice and respecting local cultures.

The collection – edited by Winfield and colleagues Stephen D. Hill of Trent University and James R. Gaede (PhD Carleton, now research manager with Efficiency Canada) – brings together a range of perspectives on decarbonization and energy system transitions, from energy and economic modellers to Indigenous practitioners in remote First Nations and Inuit communities. It explores key concepts like energy justice, decolonization of energy, community energy planning and the role of energy systems modelling. Additionally, it provides a series of case studies covering Canada’s major regions and key sectors, such as transportation and space heating.

The books highlight the complexities of implementing top-down policy measures versus bottom-up, community-driven approaches. Further, it emphasizes how significant global events like the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts impact energy transitions. Throughout the book’s discussions, the editors stress the necessity of aligning decarbonization efforts with broader sustainability goals for Canada’s economy and society.

The book is a valuable resource for scholars, practitioners and policymakers involved in climate change, energy transitions, sustainability and environmental policy. It is also recommended for advanced courses on climate change, energy and environmental policy, and individuals looking for crucial insights into navigating Canada’s evolving energy landscape.

An open-access edition of the volume is available to facilitate adoptions in senior undergraduate and graduate courses in climate change and energy policy, economics, law and politics.

Winfield is a professor of environmental and urban change, and co-chair of the Sustainable Energy Initiative at York University. He is the author of Blue-Green Province: The Environment and the Political Economy of Ontario.

Find the book here.

Collaborative project on global climate modelling wins prestigious supercomputing award

November 17, 2023

Miles Couchman, a York University assistant professor in applied mathematics, Faculty of Science, is part of an international research collaboration featuring a multidisciplinary network of researchers – including applied mathematicians and mechanical, civil and environmental engineers – that has been been awarded a highly competitive 2024 Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) Supercomputing Award.

York University Assistant Professor Miles Couchman (left) and collaborator Professor Steve de Bruyn Kops (right) in front of the Frontier Supercomputer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the largest supercomputer in the world.

The winning collaborative project looks to better understand turbulence in stratified flows, notably scenarios where a fluid has variable density. One application of particular interest is developing more robust mathematical models for characterizing the turbulence-enhanced mixing of heat in the ocean, a leading area of uncertainty in global climate modelling and a topic of direct importance to global society.

The INCITE program, run by the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), grants 75 computational intensive science projects access to the world’s fastest supercomputers, located at the DOE’s Argonne and Oak Ridge national laboratories, to further innovation across the fields of science, engineering and computer science.

Couchman’s co-project was among 108 total proposals received by INCITE this year from international researchers or research organizations asking for supercomputer access. The evaluation process was highly competitive, with proposals evaluated over the course of four months based on computational readiness, the scalability of a project’s code and algorithms, and more.

Couchman’s team was awarded use of Frontier, the largest supercomputer in the world, in 2024 to perform numerical research simulations, allowing the researchers to simulate turbulent processes with unprecedented resolution, leading to more accurate and universal turbulent models. They hope what they learn won’t just apply to the mixing of heat in water, but how pollutants mix in the atmosphere and more.

The research team is made up of individuals from Duke University, the University of Washington and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in the U.S., as well as the University of Cambridge in the U.K.

YCAR launches lecture series on climate change

November 15, 2023

Heavily industrialized area with clouds of pollution looming in the sky at sunset, pollution, haze, smog

The York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) is launching a new lecture series, titled “Climate Dystopias in Asia,” set to begin Nov. 22 and explore the relationship between climate change challenge and societal impact throughout Asia.

The “Climate Dystopias in Asia” series will feature scholars presenting their research and findings on the complex relationship between environmental shifts and societal impacts in Asia, focusing on the various adaptations that communities and organizations are undertaking in response to these challenges.

“Asia, as we know, is warming faster than the global average. It increasingly faces extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves that significantly impact lives and livelihoods. To put the spotlight on climate challenges that cities, coasts and hinterlands face in different parts of Asia, we will invite scholars from interdisciplinary backgrounds to offer grounded analyses of the complexities and limitations of climate adaptation strategies,” says Professor Shubhra Gururani, the director of YCAR.

The inaugural lecture of the series will feature Professor Kasia Paprocki from the Department of Geography & Environment at the London School of Economics & Political Science. The in-person talk, titled “Threatening Dystopias: Development, Scientific Knowledge and Adaptation to Climate Change,” will draw on Paprocki’s book, also named Threatening Dystopias, that examines the politics of climate change adaptation in Bangladesh.

By situating climate change in a longer history of growth and development, Paprocki will explore the oversimplified crisis narratives that define Bangladesh’s approach towards climate change. In global climate change policy and media circles, Bangladesh is the poster child for climate disasters related to rising sea levels and is often portrayed as “the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change.” Paprocki will critically evaluate these narratives and offer an analysis that digs deeper and shows how the prevailing storyline may overlook the political and economic forces that contour Bangladesh’s climate geography.

The talk will draw on Paprocki’s research and publications’ focus on climate change adaptation in South Asia, specifically in Bangladesh. Forging a conversation between political ecology, agrarian studies, climate change and risk narratives, Paprocki will examine the narrative of climate change as it circulates in Bangladesh and situate the responses to climatic change in the deeper histories of colonial policies and agrarian politics of land and underdevelopment.

“With this event and the series more generally, we hope to offer a platform for a deeper understanding of the nuanced interactions between environmental challenges and societal change in Asia,” says Gururani.

Read more about the speaker here at kasiapaprocki.com.

More information about the series can be accessed here.

Schulich MBA earns top spot in responsible business ranking

November 10, 2023

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at York University’s Schulich School of Business was ranked No. 1 in Canada in an annual global survey focused on responsible business.

In the survey conducted by Corporate Knights, one of the world’s largest circulation magazines, Schulich’s MBA program also ranked 13th overall among the more than 200 global business schools evaluated.

“Schulich is pleased to have once again been ranked number one in Canada,” said Schulich School of Business Dean Detlev Zwick. “We’re proud of our school’s pioneering role in the field of responsible business and our reputation as one of the world’s leading centres of teaching, research and outreach in this area.”

The Corporate Knights Better World MBA Ranking measured business schools using one main metric: the proportion of core courses from the MBA program that include sustainable development content, from environmental issues such as carbon pricing to social, ethical and diversity issues. There was also a bonus score for the percentage of a school’s recent graduates working in social impact roles or working for social impact organizations.

For more information about the 2023 Better World MBA ranking methodology, visit the website.

Join discussions on qualitative accounting at upcoming symposium

November 10, 2023

York University’s School of Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, will co-host the eighth annual Qualitative Accounting Research Symposium with the University of Guelph’s Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics from Nov. 23 to 24 at the Second Student Centre on York’s Keele Campus. The hybrid event will allow for both in-person and virtual participation.

The symposium will showcase a niche area of research in the accounting field. Qualitative accounting scholars comprise a dynamic and growing component of the scholarly community. This symposium serves as a platform to unite the community, enable collaboration amongst its members and add legitimacy to its research output.

The event’s keynote speech will be presented by Helen Tregidga (Royal Holloway, University of London), director of the Centre for Research into Sustainability, whose research is grounded in an interest in social and environmental issues, and critical aspects of organizations and work. Her primary research has focused on the constructions of sustainable development and sustainability within the corporate context, its consequences and, more recently, the role of academics and others countering or resisting the dominant discourse.

The symposium will include presentations by 18 academics from Argentina, Canada, Ghana, South Africa and the U.K. The event’s theme, “Accounting at the Crossroads of Democracy,” will be explored by panellists including Tregidga, Carla Edgley (Cardiff University), Christine Gilbert (Université Laval), Julius Otusanya (University of Lagos) and Fernanda Sauerbronn (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro).

The hybrid event will close with a panel discussion titled “Building Ethical Leaders for the Future Accounting Profession,” geared towards professional accountants and funded by CPA Ontario.

For more information about the symposium and to register, visit the event web page.

New report on sustainable investing highlights York’s leadership

November 8, 2023

The strong performance of York University’s endowment fund – exceeding national sector and international sustainability benchmarks while generating positive returns – is highlighted in the 2022 Sustainable Investing Report.

As an institution, York is committed to ensuring sustainability is embedded in all aspects of University operations. Sustainable investing is one of the many ways York acts in accordance with its core values and contributes to a more sustainable future.

The new report on sustainable investing outlines York’s leadership in the space and how the York University Endowment Fund employs a decarbonization strategy that integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the overall financial management of its portfolio.

“This report is a representation of our commitment to reporting and transparency, and a mechanism to hold ourselves accountable to continuously evolve our approach as the connection between ESG factors and risk and return becomes better understood,” reads a letter in the report written by Carol McCaulay, vice-president finance and administration, and Mary Traversy, Chair of the investment committee. “It also represents the most comprehensive compilation of data on sustainable investments in our endowment fund to date.”

The data contained in the report is extensive, and underscores York’s deep commitment to making strategic and intentional investments through its endowment fund.

From 2016 to 2022, the equity fund reduced the overall carbon emissions of its investments by 82 per cent and reduced its reliance on CO2 emitting equities. This led to a 78 per cent reduction in carbon footprint since 2016 and an 80 per cent decrease in the fund’s weighted average carbon intensity (WACI). Other highlights for the endowment fund include $103 million committed to sustainability-focused infrastructure funds and surpassing the Paris Accord standards in 2022 to now sit 45 per cent below the benchmark.

In addition to sustainable investing, the University is taking steps to accelerate its institutional sustainability commitments and be a leader in transparent emissions reporting. Most recently, York became the first Canadian institution to release its own comprehensive emissions data and ecological footprint assessment, compiling and publicizing more information than ever before to inform and guide its sustainability initiatives. 

For more information about sustainable investing at York, past reports are available on the University Secretariat website.

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