About sustainability at Concordia
Sustainable campus. Just Solutions. Thriving communities.
Our mandate
The Office of Sustainability (OoS) at Concordia University plays a central role in ensuring compliance with its Sustainability Policy and monitoring progress on the university’s sustainability commitments. The office strategically assesses, plans, and implements projects to enhance the sustainability of the university’s infrastructure and operations. We engage the entire campus community through transformative educational programs and collaborative initiatives that foster a culture of sustainability. Acting as consultants and subject-matter experts, we provide resources and support across administrative, academic, and student spheres.
Key functions of the OoS include:
Institutional Planning and Monitoring: Developing and implementing policies, guidelines, and strategies to achieve sustainability goals. This involves regular assessments, progress measurement, and support for the operational and academic portions of the university’s Sustainability Action Plan.
Operational Sustainability: Introducing sustainable practices within infrastructure, facilities, and daily operations. Initiatives include waste reduction, reuse and recycling programs, sustainable transportation, biodiversity conservation, and green procurement, often in collaboration with other departments.
Community Engagement: Raising awareness and fostering a sustainability culture through events, campaigns, and outreach programs that promote sustainable education and behaviors.
Academic Support: Collaborating with faculty to integrate sustainability into academic programs by aligning campus initiatives with teaching and research objectives. This includes conducting joint assessments, applying expert recommendations, enabling access to space, offering guest lectures and workshops, and facilitating the exchange of data and ideas between academics and sustainability practitioners, with a primary focus on enhancing research and teaching activities.
Student Experiential Learning Opportunities: Providing students with practical, hands-on experiences in sustainability through a variety of programs such as internships, research projects, volunteer work, and extracurricular initiatives. These opportunities are primarily coordinated by the Office of Sustainability and enable students to directly engage with and contribute to sustainability efforts on campus.
This work embeds sustainability at every decision-making level within the university, fostering a collaborative vision of ecological vitality, social equity, and economic integrity.
Sustainability facts
2012
Minor in Sustainability Studies offered for the first time
2016
First sustainability
policy published
4
LEED-certified
buildings
Over $650,000
In sustainability project funding through the
Sustainability Action Fund since 2007
2019
Concordia declares climate emergency and
commits to 100% sustainable investments
Mission statement
The Office of Sustainability at Concordia University is committed to engaging students, staff, and faculty, as well as the surrounding community, in achieving our sustainability commitments. Our purpose is to transform Concordia into an institution defined by ecological vitality, social equity, and economic integrity, by driving tangible change and fostering a thriving campus community of sustainability leaders. By integrating sustainability at every level of the institution, we aim to hold ourselves accountable to current and future generations at the campus, local, and global scale.
The values that guide our behaviour and decision-making include:
Environmental, social, and economic justice
Accessibility
Accountability
Collective resilience
Community care
Empowerment
Evidence-based action
The current approach
Concordia takes a multi-layered approach to sustainability that encompasses the following:
Some key players
Our student groups, researchers, staff, student and employee ambassadors, and volunteers work separately and in collaboration to transform Concordia into a truly next-generation university. We strive to cultivate space for critical perspectives, complementary approaches, and meaningful partnerships that further our shared vision of a vibrant, just, sustainable future.
Sustainability at Concordia
There are numerous sustainability initiatives at Concordia. For a quick overview check out this video.
Questions? Comments? Contact us!
If you wish to get involved or have questions for the team, don't hesitate to contact us.
