‘Celebrate our progress and look to the future’
Concordia’s ambitious Sustainability Action Plan continues to anchor its holistic approach to sustainability — and the impact of its initiatives were recognized by a number of highly respected external bodies in 2023-24.
“Our efforts are being rewarded and it feels great,” says Cassandra Lamontagne, manager for the Office of Sustainability.
Canada’s Greenest Employer
For example, Concordia landed on Canada’s Greenest Employers list for the first time in 2023-24.
“We’ve been applying consistently for several years, and the questions don’t change,” Lamontagne reports.
“But our answers have changed because of the Sustainability Action Plan and everything we’ve been implementing across the five streams. We were very excited to reach this threshold and achieve this formal recognition.”
The competition, in its 17th year, highlights companies leading the way in developing unique sustainability programs and initiatives that engage employees and create a culture of environmental awareness within their organizations.
Being included on this year’s list speaks to the success of Concordia projects like PLAN/NET ZERO, the Sustainable Event Guide and Certification Program, the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse and so much more.
Sustainability Action Plan progress report
Gains made in the five target areas of the Sustainability Action Plan — sustainable food systems, zero waste, climate action, sustainability in research and sustainability in curriculum — are now published as progress reports online.
“We began drafting these plans back in 2018, and the context has changed so much since the text was written,” Lamontagne points out. “It’s been great to see the advances we’ve made on different targets.”
The reports are accessible, dynamic breakdowns of each element in the five streams, their targets, status updates, lists of the elements supporting the targets and calls to action as well as the relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“It’s a chance to celebrate our progress and look to the future as an opportunity to address areas for improvement,” Lamontagne says.
Sustainable Event Guide and Certification — a best practice
Concordia’s sustainability leadership caught the attention of the International Sustainable Campus Network for the second time. The network’s latest Best Practices Report featured the university’s Sustainable Event Guide and Certification Program.
“This is a very esteemed network made up of international leaders on sustainability, not just in North America but in Europe, Asia and South America as well,” Lamontagne shares. “So, it’s a good sign that we can earn this recognition because it is quite competitive.”
She adds that the Office of Sustainability is proud of the certification program and that the uptake and feedback from Concordians continue to be incredibly positive.
“We’re pleased that this particular initiative was accepted in the best practices report so that other universities might actually make use of it for their own programs.”
Silver VÉLOSYMPATHIQUE certification
Vélo Québec awarded a silver VÉLOSYMPATHIQUE certification to Concordia for its many measures to support cycling through infrastructure, education, encouragement, planning and equity. Lamontagne explains that while this was the same level of certification the university had previously achieved, the selection committee awarded Concordia more points this time around.
That’s due to new initiatives like free bike repair stations around campus, a website refresh with updated resource links and a map outlining all that’s available to cyclists at Concordia — indoor and outdoor parking, showers, repair stations, repair shops and more.
A Sustainability Action Plan goal is to achieve Gold certification by December 2025, so Concordia will reapply to Vélo Québec before then.
The university continues to identify and incorporate bike parking spots in infrastructure projects when feasible, which Lamontagne believes will help elevate Concordia to the next level. But she remains impressed with the progress it made in 2023-24.
Seven years of creative reuse
The Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR) is the first of its kind in Canada and it celebrated its seventh year in operation in 2023-24.
The centre diverts materials from the university’s waste stream and offers them to the community at no cost.
“They offered a full year of programming, which led to some really positive metrics around waste diversion as well as some exciting outcomes,” Lamontagne reports. The centre had more than 3,500 visitors this year, diverted 8.01 metric tonnes of waste and saved participants $100,552 in material costs.
One member-led initiative was this years’ Engagement Awards, which were made out of reused and repurposed plastics and wood from around campus converted into commemorative coasters with winners’ names laser-cut into them.
CUCCR also hosted a residence reclaim-a-thon, which included collecting large amounts of discarded items from outgoing students for donation, including winter clothes for the International Students Office.
“It’s just another example of how CUCCR continues to show up on campus,” Lamontagne says.
