UCalgary

Advancing Sustainability Action

Do you have ideas on how to spark sustainability on our campus? UCalgary seeks your participation to advance sustainability actions across education, research, engagement, and campus operations.
 

Launched in 2016, the Institutional Sustainability Strategy (ISS) is UCalgary’s roadmap for continuous improvement in our pursuit of excellence, innovation, and leadership in sustainability. Reflecting UCalgary’s foundational commitment to sustainability, the strategy includes four key goals addressing sustainability across education, research, engagement, and campus operations. UCalgary is seeking your ideas to affirm actions our campus can continue to take to support sustainability. 

We want sustainability to reflect our community's aspirations and our values of curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. Continuing our dialogue on innovative ideas to embed sustainability in our education and our operations, we will enable our UCalgary community to continue to learn and take action.

Dr. Penny Werthner

Interim Provost and Vice President (Academic)

We want to identify innovative ideas to embed sustainability within future-focused education and scholarship, create rich experiential learning opportunities, expand our understanding of sustainability, and infuse sustainability across our campus operations.  

This process will embrace guidance from an Elders Leadership Circle for Sustainability and Campus Mental Health and a Sustainability Working Committee comprising undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and senior leaders.  

How to get involved

The following campus consultations were designed to gather input on sustainability perspectives and priorities from UCalgary students, postdoctoral associates, faculty, and staff to continue to advance the SDGs.

Attend a Workshop

Attend a workshop

Join our advisory forums, open houses, and workshops. See below for registration

Request a workshop

Request a workshop

Request a workshop or a short presentation for your classroom, faculty forum, or staff forum. Email sustain@ucalgary.ca for more information

Share your ideas and stories

Share your ideas and stories

Provide your feedback on campus sustainability online using the link below

Online Form

Workshops and Events

Students, faculty and staff are welcome to participate in the workshops below

  1. Sustainability Dialogue Circle

    First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students, postdoctoral associates, faculty and staff are invited to reflect on the stories and ideas shared at a previous Sustainability Dialogue Circle and to recommend sustainability actions in a good way. Lights snacks and drinks will be provided. Please RSVP for this session to help with catering.

    • Date: January 25
    • Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

  1. Student Advisory Forum

    Are you a student passionate about sustainability on campus? Would you like to have your opinions heard regarding sustainability actions at UCalgary? Join us to share more about how you would like to see sustainability action on campus! Pizza will be served. Please RSVP for this session so we can order enough food.

    • Date: February 15 
    • Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

  1. Focus Forum for Students, Postdocs and Faculty

    Students, postdoctoral associates and faculty are invited to share their perspectives and ideas about education and research for sustainability. Please RSVP for this session to help with room booking. 

    • Date: February 14 
    • Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

  2. Campus Community Open Forum

    UCalgary students, postdocs, faculty and staff are invited to share their perspectives and ideas about education and research for sustainability. Please RSVP for this session to help with room booking. 

    • Date:  February 14 
    • Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

  3. Focus Forum for Students, Postdocs and Faculty

    Students, postdoctoral associates and faculty are invited to share their perspectives and ideas about education and research for sustainability. Please RSVP for this session to help with room booking. 

    • Date:  February 16
    • Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

  1. How can we strengthen sustainability engagement & culture on campus

    Students, faculty and staff are invited to share their perspectives and ideas about how to best engage our campus community and create a culture of sustainability. Pizza will be served. Please RSVP for this session to help with catering. 

    • Date: March 7 
    • Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

  1. Campus Ecosystem Health

    Would you like to have your opinions heard regarding the health of the UCalgary campus ecosystem and its relationship with our campus community - humans and non-humans alike? Students, postdoctoral associates, faculty and staff are invited to share their perspectives and ideas about creating a sustainable and healthy campus ecosystem. Idea topics may include, but are not limited to, campus green spaces, human-animal-ecosystem relationships, footprint, biodiversity, naturalization, etc. A pizza lunch will be provided. Please RSVP for this session to help with catering.

    • Date: February 26
    • Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

  2. How can we make a more sustainable campus

    Are you passionate about sustainability on campus? Students, postdoctoral associates, faculty and staff are invited to share their perspectives and ideas about creating a sustainable campus. Idea topics may include, but are not limited to, climate change action, sustainable procurement, waste management, sustainable food management, transportation, water and energy efficiency. Please RSVP for this session to help with room booking. 

    • Date: February 8
    • Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

  3. Campus Community Garden

    Join us in a collaborative dialogue regarding the Campus Community Garden. This event will look to gain insights surrounding previous feedback and key aspects of future developments, engagement, and inclusivity within UCalgary’s Campus Community Garden. 

    • Date: March 7
    • Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
    • Location: The Sustainability Hive (MT 116)
    Register

What we heard

Learn about what we heard and what we will continue to do to advance sustainability action in the updated Action Plan (2025–2028) for the Institutional Sustainability Strategy.

Leadership Team

Executive Sponsors 

  • Dr. Penny Werthner, Interim Provost and Vice President (Academic) 
  • Dr. William Ghali, Vice President, Research 

The Elders' Leadership Circle for Sustainability and Campus Mental Health 

Sustainability Working Committee Members

Co - Chairs

  • Dr. Bill Rosehart, Dean of Schulich School of Engineering 
  • Joanne Perdue, Associate Vice President (Sustainability) 

 

Academic Representatives  

  • Dr. Andrew Szeto, Director, Mental Health Strategy / Professor, Department of Psychology
  • Dr. Ellen Perrault, Dean, Faculty of Social Work     
  • Houston Peschl, Associate Professor (Teaching), Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Haskayne School of Business 
  • Jessica Bekker, Assistant Professor (Teaching), Electrical & Software Engineering
  • Dr. Marjan Eggermont, Associate Dean, Sustainability, Professor (Teaching), Schulich School of Engineering
  • Dr. Mindi Summers, Associate Professor (Teaching), Faculty of Science 

 

 

Delegates 

  • Dr. Andre Buret, Associate Vice President (Research) (delegate of Vice President Research)
  • Boris Dragicevic, Associate Vice President, Facilities Development (delegate of Vice President Services)
  • Dr. Hieu Ngo, Associate Dean (Teaching/Learning), Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work, (delegate of Vice Provost & Associate Vice President Research - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
  • Norma Jeremick'ca Gresl, Manager, Community Outreach and Indigenous Engagement (delegate of Vice Provost, Indigenous Engagement & Associate Vice President Research - Indigenous Engagement)

Elected Student Representatives  

  • Arlington Santiago, SU Vice President Finance and Operations 
  • Cameron Armstrong, GSA Vice President Finance and Services  

Support Staff  

  • Dr. Christine Daly, Associate Director, Sustainability Engagement  
  • Humaira Waqar, Committee Secretary; Executive Assistant to Associate Vice President, Sustainability