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Sustainability Strategy

Inspire positive change

READ: York University Sustainability Strategy 2030: Positive Change: Connecting People, Planet and Purpose

The History of the Strategy

The University’s plan to right the future and create positive change affects every corner of our campuses. Our plan shapes our teaching and research, and impacts decision-making across at every level of the institution. As the third largest university in Canada, York has an extensive history demonstrating commitment to sustainability, which includes the development of the first Sustainability Strategy in 2017. This strategy was intended to be reviewed every five years. Members of the York community were invited to participate and give their ideas and input on key issues such as energy, climate change, waste management, transportation, social justice, and many other sustainability issues facing the University now and into the future. Read the 2017 Sustainability Strategy here.

PEOPLE

York University is working to foster a culture of collaborative behaviour that harmonizes the efforts of the York community to pursue widely understood sustainability objectives. York’s holistic understanding of sustainability includes human well-being and social dimensions, and recognizes the social, economic and environmental roles of York University in and with our local neighbourhoods.

PE1: Culture of Sustainability: The York University community demonstrates a culture of sustainability through individual behaviour and institutional practices, such as dedicating staff and academic positions to pursue sustainability, embedding sustainability in all job descriptions, and changing behaviour and practices through focused training and continuing education for new and incoming staff, faculty and students.

PE2: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Social Justice: York University’s holistic approach to sustainability includes social sustainability. By fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment, York ensures that sustainability efforts are enriched by the diverse perspectives of its community and aligned with global frameworks like the SDGs and the Okanagan Charter.


PE3: Anchor Institution: Each of York University’s campuses is an anchor institution with their surrounding communities. Through proactive engagement, the University promotes sustainable economic, cultural, social, and environmental opportunities. This includes supporting food security initiatives, strengthening ties with Indigenous communities, and advancing housing strategies that address institutional and community needs.

KNOWLEDGE

York University’s mission is the pursuit, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge through excellence in research and teaching. Our strengths in sustainability research inform our teaching. York aspires to develop pathways for all students to access sustainability curriculum, especially experiential education opportunities in sustainability.

KN1: International Leadership in Sustainability: York University is globally recognized as a leader in SDG-relevant research, teaching, and partnerships, attracting students from across Canada and the world to engage in sustainability-focused programs.


KN2: Living Lab & Experiential Education: York University utilizes its campus operations, grounds and buildings as ‘living labs’ that provide experiential education opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students.


KN3: Sustainability Learning Outcomes: Undergraduate learning outcomes and graduate attributes of York University students include, wherever appropriate, the ability to identify and articulate sustainability challenges facing our world, and to assess, critique, explain and take action to address these problems.


KN4: World Leader in Research: York University is recognized as a world leader in applied sustainability research.


KN5: Leading Edge Research: York University researchers and staff work together to develop, conduct and apply leading edge research and technology in sustainability initiatives. Through its Strategic Research Plan, York University reinforces its dedication to tackling pressing societal and environmental challenges by fostering impactful, collaborative research initiatives.


KN6: Network of Centres of Excellence: York University is committed to creating a global Network of Centres of Excellence in Sustainability. This network will bring together world-class researchers, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and support knowledge mobilization to address sustainability challenges.

PLACE

Campus sustainability consists of development, operations and maintenance on our campuses. New development is guided by green building targets, and York is building on successes with waste diversion, sustainable procurement, transportation, carbon reductions and operations.

PL1: Decision-Marking: York University integrates sustainability into both long-term institutional strategic planning and day-to-day decision-making.


PL2: Intentional Design: As an established institutional value, York University makes sustainability visible and tangible on our campuses through intentional design that improves ecological and human well-being, supports experiential education, fosters innovation and demonstrates best practices.


PL3: Financial Sustainability: York University integrates sustainability into its overall financial plan, integrated resource plans and procurement, and is a responsible investor with respect to sustainability.


PL4: Innovation Fund: York University has an ongoing sustainability innovation fund to support sustainability projects on its campuses.


PL5: Carbon Emissions: York University has a long-term energy strategy and action plan with the goal of minimizing carbon emissions on our campuses. This will be achieved by pursuing integrated strategies in key areas such as energy, transportation, buildings, and operations.


PL6: Ecosystem & Human Well-Being: York University’s campuses are ecologically healthy, and provide accessible and inviting spaces to learn, live, work and play. Valuing and prioritizing open and green spaces allows York University to manage our campuses to generate “co-benefits” that improve ecosystem health as well as human health and well-being.


PL7: Green Buildings: Buildings on York campuses and lands held by York University are models of sustainable design and operation in multiple dimensions. Not only do they achieve energy, water and human health sustainability benefits, but they also serve as living labs that support experiential education and research in sustainability.


PL8: Net Positive: All new development, and where possible renovations, on York University campuses are constructed to the highest green building standards, and aspire to net positive contributions with respect to energy and utility consumption and other dimensions of sustainability.

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