Other - Sustainability

Call for Student Nominations – Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability

Students speaking with each other and smiling — CECCS Student Leadership Subcommittee Co-Chair Harshit Gujral (left) and SLS/CECCS student member Zach Lidder at the December 4, 2024 Winter Gathering

Background

The President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS) was created in 2017 with the goals of making sustainability a key component of the University of Toronto identity, achieving international leadership in the integration of operational and academic sustainability, and coordinating sustainability activities across the three campuses. Since then, the Committee has become an important part of the university and has contributed to achievements such as U of T’s recognition as the #1 university for Sustainability in 2024 and 2025 according to the QS World University Rankings. The work of the Committee, which brings a diverse set of interests, expertise and leadership in the University’s sustainability efforts, is more crucial than ever.

Call for Student Nominations

We are seeking nominations for the following CECCS positions for a one-year term, from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026:

One member of the undergraduate community at UTSC (full or part-time)
One member of the undergraduate student community (full or part-time) – preference will be given to a non-Arts and Science student to ensure diverse representation of disciplines

Student CECCS members will also serve on our Student Leadership Subcommittee. Members of the University community are invited to submit nominations or expressions of interest to serve on the CECCS by 12:00 noon on May 23, 2025. You may submit nominations on your own behalf or nominate another individual. The submission should demonstrate knowledge of U of T’s sustainability efforts, express an interest in the field (maximum one page), and include a brief CV/résumé.

Additional information on the Committee and its work may be found in the Terms of Reference, included below.

Submissions or inquiries should be addressed to:

Dr. Kristy Faccer, Director, Secretariat

Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability

c/o ceccs@utoronto.ca

Thinking of making a nomination or submitting an expression of interest? Review our Frequently Asked Questions here.

CECCS Terms of Reference

Background & Mandate

The President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability (CECCS) was established in 2017 to advance the University’s contributions, objectives and impact on climate change and sustainability. The CECCS reports to the President.

The CECCS delivers its mandate through a range of activities addressing research, education, internal and external community engagement, and university operations. In 2024, after three successful mandate periods, the President approved an ongoing role for CECCS at the University of Toronto.

Goals

Sustainability as key component of U of T identity
Local and international leadership in operational and academic sustainability; and
Recognition, sharing and scaling good sustainability practices towards meaningful impact across and beyond the university

Overarching principles

Regenerative Sustainability which looks for net positive ways to increase both human and environmental wellbeing, instead of simply focusing on reducing environmental damage
Integration of Operational and Academic Sustainability which looks at ways to combine research, teaching, partnerships and operations

Cross-cutting themes (to be reviewed in 2024)

Campus as Living Lab which involves using the campus as a test bed for addressing sustainability challenges and involving students, faculty, staff, and potentially external partners in the process.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which CECCS uses to orient our understanding, across all our activities, of the many dimensions of sustainability across the university and to develop all our sustainability inventories
Engagement and Partnerships and the principles of co-production and embedding sustainability in the core activities and functions of the university

Structure & Operations

The CECCS refers to the following:

The Committee of Presidential appointees representing key University of Toronto communities and its Co-Chairs
The CECCS standing subcommittees (below) and, from time to time, shorter term working and advisory groups
- Teaching & Learning
- Research
- Operations
- Student Leadership (see appendix below)
The CECCS Secretariat and its staff

Organizational chart showing the governance structure of CECCS

Roles and responsibilities

CECCS Co-Chairs. The CECCS Co-Chairs are responsible for providing guidance to the President on U of T matters relating to sustainability and climate change. The Co-Chairs oversee the work of the Committee and normally make annual presentations on the Committee’s activities on request to the Governing Council. They also provide reports to the Principals & Deans Committee (P&D) meetings and in other internal and external interactions.

The Committee. The Committee is made up of regular members appointed by the President and ex-officio or standing members appointed by the relevant Vice-President or Provost. The Committee is responsible for setting strategic direction, highlighting, and approving priorities for the CECCS. Committee members also sit on the CECCS subcommittees, support cross-subcommittee coordination, and facilitate sustainability in select constituents, units, or divisions on campus. Committee meetings are convened by the Co-Chairs at least once a term. Any member of the committee may bring agenda items to the CECCS Co-Chairs for consideration.

Individual members will be expected to provide expertise, guidance, and support to outreach in relation to the activities and priorities of the CECCS outside of meeting times. In addition, members are encouraged to identify ways to extend and further advance the work of the CECCS in their individual capacity and in dialogue with the CECCS Co-Chairs, Subcommittee Co-Chairs and Secretariat. Secretariat support for such activities will be made available where possible.

CECCS Subcommittees. The subcommittees are standing working groups of the CECCS responsible for the identification, development, and delivery of sustainability activities with the support of the Secretariat and relevant partners. Subcommittees meet as regularly as necessary to deliver on identified objectives and at least once a term. Subcommittees are expected to regularly make recommendations to the Committee (and Co-Chairs) on how to enhance the impact of the University and CECCS on issues of climate and sustainability.

Current subcommittees include Research, Teaching & Learning, Operations, and Student Leadership. One CECCS Co-chair sits in each of the first three and attends the fourth by invitation.

Subcommittee Co-Chairs. Each subcommittee is expected to be co-chaired by one regular and one ex-officio member of CECCS or, in the case of Student Leadership, one graduate and one undergraduate student, who share responsibility and accountability for overseeing the development and progress on relevant sustainability priorities and activities. Subcommittee Co-Chairs will be expected to identify and review subcommittee priorities annually and, where possible, outline the expected approach, implementation requirements and intended impacts of progress for each.

In addition to CECCS Members, Subcommittee Co-Chairs will also be responsible for identifying and appointing additional subcommittee-only members to help advance these identified priorities. CECCS Co-Chair approval for subcommittee-only appointments is expected.

Secretariat. The CECCS Secretariat is the administrative arm of the CECCS. Through the leadership and support of the Secretariat Director, Project Managers and other staff, the Secretariat is responsible for interpreting, planning, and implementing the direction provided by the CECCS Co-Chairs, the CECCS, and the Subcommittee Co-Chairs. The Secretariat will offer orientation to new members, provide advance information to members ahead of meetings, and follow up on action items identified and agreed upon in meetings. The Secretariat is also responsible for leading cross-CECCS initiatives and maintaining communications with members between meetings.

In general, CECCS and Subcommittee meetings will be closed and attended only by CECCS Committee and Subcommittee members, Secretariat staff and members invited with the approval of meeting chairs.

Member Appointments and Attendance

The CECCS is currently co-chaired by Professor John Robinson, Presidential Advisor on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability, and Ron Saporta, Chief Operating Officer, Property Services & Sustainability. The members include:

Ex-officio members whose membership is connected to a particular role, area of expertise or institutional office, and who can name designates for meetings. Ex-officio members are appointed by the President and may be identified in consultation with the relevant Vice-Presidents or Provost and/or identified through the open call process.

Regular members are appointed by the President of U of T and serve for 1–2-year renewable terms. Regular members are generally identified through an open call process for a set number of positions for U of T students, faculty, staff, or alumni.

Appointed members serve in their individual capacity, as students, faculty, or staff.

An equal number of faculty, students, and staff members (7, 7, 7) plus a representative from the alumni community.

The CECCS is committed to building a culture of belonging that reflects the diversity of our local and global community. We value members that share and demonstrate a commitment to equity, inclusion, and reconciliation and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our sustainability mission.

Conflict of Interest

CECCS members will be asked to declare any real or perceived conflicts of interest resulting from personal or family affiliation with organizations relevant to the work of the Committee.

Annual Report

The Secretariat submits an annual report to the President, describing CECCS activities over the previous year and the progress of the University in implementing the commitments. The annual report is normally presented annually upon request to the Governing Council and is developed by the Secretariat staff with input from the CECCS Co-Chairs, Subcommittee Chairs and others. The CECCS Annual Report 2023 can be found at: https://live-presidents-office.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-CECCS-Annual-Report_Jan.pdf

Contact

Email: ceccs@utoronto.ca

Web: https://archive.sustainability.utoronto.ca/ceccs-home/

Appendix: Student Leadership Subcommittee (SLS)

Student Leadership has been a CECCS cross-cutting theme since 2021. In 2024, a new Student Leadership Subcommittee (SLS) was created to give students a stronger voice in CECCS, enhance student collaboration, and drive student-led initiatives aligned with the broader CECCS mandate.

As with the other CECCS subcommittees, the SLS is a standing working group of the CECCS responsible for the identification, development, and delivery of sustainability activities with the support of the Secretariat and relevant partners.

Membership

Members of SLS will lead and collaborate on initiatives through active participation in CECCS governance and programming that directly impacts students, for example the Sustainability Summer Internship Program, the Sustainability Pathways Program, and Campus as Living Lab initiatives.

Seven members of SLS will be determined through an open call appointment process for CECCS. An additional five subcommittee-only members will be appointed annually through a separate open call. One-year terms for subcommittee-only members will be from September to August. Reappointments of existing student members will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

SLS members will be appointed based on demonstrated commitment to sustainability leadership at the University of Toronto and/or their communities, particularly on U of T student groups whose mandates align with any of the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To be successful, students on SLS will have the following attributes:

Collaboration and teamwork
Strong organization, communication, and interpersonal skills
Positive attitude
Goal oriented and problem-solving skills

SLS members are expected to:

Be available for and actively participate in (at least two) CECCS and subcommittee meetings each term
Advise the CECCS Secretariat on student leadership opportunities and areas of mutual interest in CECCS programming for graduate and undergraduate students (e.g. Sustainability Pathways, Campus as Living Labs, CECCS internship programs)
Participate in SLS dialogue and meetings to identify and support progress on annual SLS and relevant CECCS priorities
Champion CECCS activities and priorities within their relative communities and networks
Follow up on action items emerging from Committee or subcommittee discussions
Liaise with CECCS Project Manager(s) and Secretariat team on meeting scheduling, documentation review, subcommittee activities and project progress.

Operation

The SLS should meet as regularly as necessary to deliver on identified priorities and at least once a term. As with other CECCS subcommittees, the SLS is expected to regularly make recommendations to CECCS on how to enhance the impact of the University and CECCS on issues of climate and sustainability.

SLS meetings will be 1.5-2 hours in length and will be held virtually via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. In-person meetings may also be held, if desired, but must have an online option to ensure inclusion of tri-campus SLS members.

A Project Manager from the CECCS Secretariat will be assigned to support the work of the SLS. This includes scheduling meetings, taking notes, providing logistical support for SLS initiatives, and inviting CECCS members, Subcommittee Chairs, or other U of T stakeholders to attend SLS meetings as requested. CECCS work-study students may also provide administrative and logistical support as may be requested.

Students will receive a small honorarium equivalent to $30 per hour of meetings attended, and the option of receiving Co-Curricular Record recognition, and/or letters of reference.

U of T undergraduate initiative shortlisted for global education award in sustainability literacy

Photo: David Lee

by Corey Allen | December 16, 2024

An innovative program that aims to offer sustainability education to the University of Toronto’s nearly 80,000 undergraduate students has been shortlisted for a global education prize by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds).

U of T’s Sustainability Pathways Program was among this year’s 14 shortlisted nominees of a QS Reimagine Education Award for sustainability literacy, selected from more than 1300 submissions across 18 categories.

The program, created by the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS) – a group of faculty, staff, students and alumni representatives – combines sustainability courses, co-curricular activities, campus-as-a-living-lab projects and capstone leadership training to educate students across the university’s three campuses.

Delivered through a three-tiered system, the Pathways program encourages students in any discipline to help create a more sustainable future and become Sustainability Citizens, Scholars or Leaders, with opportunities to earn a certificate or minor in sustainability as part of their degree.

John Robinson

“The Sustainability Pathways Program is equipping U of T students with the interdisciplinary skills and knowledge needed to be effective agents of change and respond to the pressing challenges of the 21^st century,” said John Robinson, CECCS co-chair and professor in the School of the Environment and Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. “Our goal is to ‘reach the rest’ – students who would not otherwise engage with sustainability as part of their degree. This approach is helping to shape the next generation of sustainability leaders, regardless of their field of study, while also providing a transformative educational experience for students.”

First launched in 2020, the Pathways program has since seen strong uptake, and now offers access to sustainability education to more than 86 per cent of U of T’s total undergraduate population. Student enrolment in the program’s Scholar tier has also increased by 27 per cent for 2024. And U of T currently offers more than 2,000 sustainability related courses and more than 100 graduate programs with sustainability content.

The QS category prize recognizes institutions for their “exceptional commitment to advancing sustainability education”. First place was awarded to NEOMA Business School in France, announced last week during the higher education firm’s annual conference in London, England. In addition to U of T, the shortlisted nominees in the sustainability literacy category also included the University of Waterloo, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and IE University in Spain, among others.

The prize announcement follows U of T being named the world’s most sustainable university a second year in a row by QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025.

U of T retains top spot as world’s most sustainable university in QS global rankings

An aerial photograph of the U of T St. George campus, facing south towards the CN Tower. — *Photo by David Lee.*

By Corey Allen | December 10, 2024

The University of Toronto has been named the world’s most sustainable university for a second consecutive year by the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025, released today.

The ranking, conducted by London-based firm Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluates universities on their ability to tackle pressing environmental, social and governance challenges and their outward impacts, with U of T earning the top spot out of 1744 universities, including 350 new entrants, from more than 100 locations.

President Meric Gertler of the University of Toronto — President Meric Gertler

“On behalf of the University of Toronto, I am thrilled that our university is once again ranked first in the world in the QS Sustainability Rankings,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “The U of T community is profoundly committed to the advancement of sustainability as one of the most urgent challenges of our time. This year’s ranking confirms our resolve to help lead the way to a sustainable future.”

President Gertler continued: “It’s also a testament to the talent, creativity and dedication of the many U of T students, faculty and staff who are deeply engaged in helping to realize that future. Let me take this opportunity to thank and congratulate them, and to acknowledge the outstanding work of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability in leading and aligning efforts across our teaching, research and operations.”

U of T excelled in all three key performance categories that make up the overall score, placing first in social impact, fifth in environmental impact, and 23rd in governance.

“Advancing sustainability and pioneering climate solutions is central to U of T’s mission to power positive change in the Toronto region, the country and the world,” said John Robinson, CECCS co-chair and professor in the School of the Environment and Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. “We are thrilled to see U of T once again receive this global recognition as a sustainability leader from QS, and we celebrate this achievement as a shared success for the entire university community.”

The QS ranking

Introduced in 2022, the QS sustainability ranking is an offshoot of the QS World University Rankings. It uses a methodology that considers more than 50 metrics related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with different assigned weights, grouped into nine indicators across three broad categories:

A digital badge from QS that displays a first place sustainability ranking

Environmental Impact: Includes environmental education, research and sustainability, with the greatest weight placed on academic research in earth and environment.
Social Impact: Examines employability and opportunities, equality, health and wellbeing, impact of education and knowledge exchange, with the greatest weight given to the equality indicator.
Governance: Universities are judged based on ten metrics for good governance, including open-access publishing, policy citations and student representation.

U of T’s unique sustainability leadership

In recent years, U of T has made significant academic and operational strides with several major sustainability initiatives launched or underway across its three campuses, including a shared goal to become climate positive by 2050.

Operationally at U of T St. George, for example, Canada’s largest urban geo-exchange system was unveiled earlier this year and will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15,000 tonnes per year. At U of T Mississauga, the Project SHIFT initiative is completing deep energy retrofits to its district energy system, including electrification and steam to hot water conversion, to cut GHG emissions by 6,000 tonnes. And at U of T Scarborough, the Environmental and Related Technologies Hub (EaRTH) – a partnership with UTSC and four other universities and colleges – is expanding the clean tech sector in the Eastern GTA and developing a net-zero vertical farm.

Across research and teaching, hundreds of U of T faculty are collaborating on sustainability related research across multiple disciplines through institutional strategic initiatives like SDGs@UofT and Climate Positive Energy, as well as more than 120 research units. They also share their expertise by teaching over 2000 sustainability-focused undergraduate courses and more than 115 graduate programs with sustainability-related content.

“We often hear from peers that U of T’s governance model and mandate for sustainability leadership and integration across the university is unique. It is a vision driven by and with champions in our community and we believe this approach has been key to our success as an institution,” said CECCS Secretariat Director Kristy Faccer. “With the support of senior leadership, including the president, our committee and subcommittee members and our broader network, we are fostering transformative change together.”

U of T undergrad initiative expands access to sustainability education

One initiative having a significant impact on undergraduate students and sustainability education is U of T’s Sustainability Pathways Program, created by CECCS.

The flagship program currently provides 86 per cent of undergraduate students with access to sustainability education through coursework, community-engaged and experiential learning and campus-as-a-living lab projects. Students, especially those whose degree programs are not directly related to sustainability, can incorporate sustainability into their studies and even earn a certificate or minor in sustainability as part of their degree.

The Sustainability Pathways Program was also shortlisted for a QS prize in sustainability literacy education as part of this year’s QS Reimagine Education Awards. The award recognizes global innovations in education, with the grand prize winner to be announced tomorrow, Dec. 11, at the same annual conference where the rankings were released.

U of T’s global reputation and expertise

Overall, U of T continues to be the top-ranked Canadian university and one of the top-ranked public universities in global rankings:

Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities
National Taiwan University World University Rankings

The university’s strong reputation means its senior leadership, faculty and staff are often sought to share their sustainability expertise and experiences with other universities and with different industries. These community members are also frequently invited to take on leadership roles in global initiatives, steering committees and working groups.

For example, U of T is an inaugural and steering member of the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3), a group of more than 20 leading research universities across North America working to accelerate climate action. President Gertler is also chair of U7+ Alliance, a transnational academic partner to the G7 countries and sits on the advisory committee of the International Sustainable Campus Network.

CECCS also co-leads the Network of Networks, a global group that promotes greater collaboration among higher education institution climate networks.

U of T advisory committee embarks on next phase in advancing sustainability

With continuing status, CECCS will move forward on its goal to embed sustainability across all facets of U of T

By Corey Allen | November 7, 2024

Ambition, optimism and a forward-looking vision for sustainability at the University of Toronto topped the agenda at the inaugural meeting of the 2024-2025 cohort of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS).

The meeting, held on October 24, officially launched the beginning of CECCS’ continuing status. Established in 2017, CECCS will move forward on its goal to embed sustainability into all aspects of the university – from research and innovation to teaching and learning to partnerships to operations.

“U of T’s success and impact in sustainability initiatives, both nationally and internationally, would not have been possible without the vision, creativity and persistence of this committee,” said President Meric Gertler, who delivered opening remarks. “If the last seven years are any indication, this committee’s next phase as an enduring part of the university holds great promise.”

The committee, co-chaired by U of T Professor John Robinson and Chief Operating Officer Ron Saporta, is organized around two overarching principles: regenerative sustainability – to simultaneously increase human and environmental well-being – and the integration of academic and operational sustainability.

Late last year, the committee’s work to deliver on its mandate and make sustainability a fundamental part of the university’s identity contributed to U of T being named the world’s most sustainable university in 2024 by the QS World University Rankings.

Part of the next phase for CECCS also includes the launch of a new subcommittee focused on student leadership. The aim is to increase student involvement and boost student-led sustainability initiatives.

“I want our members to inspire students across all three campuses to engage deeply with the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability and to foster a genuine connection not only to our environment but also to our people and community,” said Kelechi Nwokeocha, a fifth-year environmental science and biology student at UTSC and the subcommittee’s co-chair. “This new subcommittee offers a powerful platform to empower my peers and demonstrate that student voices have the ability to drive meaningful change.”

UTSC student and CECCS member Kelechi Nwokeocha talks about the Sustainability Pathways Program.

Over the last seven years, CECCS has played a pivotal role in moving many of the university’s sustainability efforts forward. Notably, supporting a fully costed plan for the St. George campus to become climate positive by 2050 (facilitating similar commitments for the Mississauga and Scarborough campuses) and championing the transformation of the university’s three campuses into living labs for climate solutions.

Under the committee’s guidance, the university-wide Sustainability Pathways Program has also grown significantly. Its Scholar tier, where a student can earn a certificate or minor in sustainability as part of their degree, now offers 86 per cent of undergraduate students access to sustainability education.

The committee’s current formation of 21 members with faculty, staff, students and alumni representatives marks the largest group of new members since its creation in 2017.

October 4, 2024 Transdisciplinary Knowledge Co-Production (TKC) Workshop

📢 Join Us for the upcoming Transdisciplinary Knowledge Co-Production (TKC) Workshop!

Are you an early-career researcher, post-doctoral fellow, PhD or Master’s student passionate about sustainability and interested in engaging with community partners to co-create impactful solutions? We are thrilled to invite you to the newest TKC Workshop hosted by the Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS) in partnership with the SDGs@UofT Institutional Strategic Initiative (ISI) this coming October!

Traditional academic training often focuses on extractive research methods, but real-world sustainability and climate challenges require a different approach—one that is solutions-focused and deeply engaged with non-academic partners. This workshop is designed to deepen your understanding of transdisciplinary community-engaged research, focusing on collaborative interactions and practical tools for community-university partnerships.

Come network with peer researchers over lunch, and hear from an excellent line-up of community partners on strengths, challenges, and opportunities of community-university partnerships.

Workshop Details:

🗓 Date: Friday, October 4, 2024
🕛 Time: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 Location: Trinity College, St. George Campus, University of Toronto

Lunch will be provided.

Deadline to Register: ⏰ 11:59 PM, September 27, 2024

REGISTER HERE!

CECCS Call for Nominations

PDAD&C Memo #3

From: Meric Gertler, President

Date: July 26, 2024

Re: Call for Nominations—Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (PDAD&C #)

Background

The President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS) was created in 2017 with the goals of making sustainability a key component of the University of Toronto identity, achieving international leadership in the integration of operational and academic sustainability, and coordinating sustainability activities across the three campuses. Since then, the Committee has become an important part of the university and has contributed to achievements such as U of T’s recent recognition as the #1 for Sustainability in 2024 according to the QS World University Rankings. Advances in sustainability at the University of Toronto and the work of the CECCS is made possible through the insights and efforts of sustainability champions and committee members from across all three campuses – and this work is more important and urgent than ever.

Call for Nominations – Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability

I am seeking nominations for new CECCS members. The CECCS is made up of the following:

Seven members of the student community who will also serve on the Student Leadership Subcommittee (undergraduate and graduate)
Seven faculty members (from any campus)
Seven staff (from any campus)

Members of the University community are invited to submit nominations or expressions of interest to serve on the CECCS by Aug 23, 2024. You may submit nominations on your own behalf or nominate another individual. The submission should demonstrate knowledge of U of T’s sustainability efforts, express an interest in the field, and include a brief CV/résumé.