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SDG 13 Reports
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Research
Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory
Western’s Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory supports climate action research by improving the study of severe and extreme weather events in Canada, including damaging winds, hail, flash floods, tornadoes and derechos. Building on Western’s strengths in wind engineering, climate resiliency, the Northern Tornadoes Project and the Northern Hail Project, the laboratory collects and analyzes storm data to better understand risk and reduce harm to people, property and communities. Its work helps inform preparedness, policy and disaster mitigation as extreme weather becomes more frequent and damaging.
Hydroclimatic extremes and climate adaptation research
Western engineering professor Reza Najafi studies hydroclimatic extremes, including floods, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, extreme winds, tornadoes and hailstorms. His research examines how climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and complexity of these events, especially when multiple hazards occur together as compound events. Improving understanding of how water, energy and extreme weather interact under a warming climate enables better planning for future climate risks and helps communities prepare for conditions that can no longer be predicted from past climate patterns alone.
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Teaching
Campus as a Living Lab
Western’s Campus as a Living Lab program transforms university grounds into a hands-on teaching environment where students apply classroom knowledge to real-world sustainability challenges. Through interdisciplinary projects—from energy modeling and ecosystem management to flood mitigation and biodiversity enhancement—students gain practical experience while contributing to campus improvements. This approach deepens understanding of environmental issues and encourages innovative thinking, preparing students to lead sustainable change in their future careers.
Master of Environment and Sustainability
Western’s Master of Environment and Sustainability (MES) program equips students to address climate challenges through interdisciplinary learning and applied experience. With coursework focused on climate change, conservation, and waste reduction, students gain practical skills in environmental consulting, stakeholder engagement, and project management. The program includes a co-op term and real-world client projects, preparing graduates to lead climate-responsive initiatives across sectors and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.
Connecting for Climate Change Action
Connecting for Climate Change Action course at Western uses storytelling to bring Indigenous knowledge and Western science together in climate change education. The course is designed to improve climate literacy, examine systemic inequities and encourage learners to take action on climate change through eight modules covering climate science, emissions, responsibility, climate pathways and practical climate action. It has also been offered online through Coursera, making Western’s climate education accessible to adult learners beyond campus.
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Outreach
EnviroCon
EnviroCon at Western University fosters climate-focused dialogue and collaboration by bringing together students, faculty, and community partners to share research on, and solutions to, environmental challenges. Hosted by the Centre for Environment and Sustainability, the event operationalizes outreach through interdisciplinary presentations, networking, and knowledge exchange—empowering participants to take informed action on climate issues locally and globally.
On Being Bold: Inspiring Climate Action and Sustainability
Western hosted On Being Bold: Inspiring Climate Action and Sustainability in January 2025 as part of its Climate and Sustainability Strategy engagement. Open to students, staff, faculty and affiliates, the event invited the campus community to join the conversation around Western’s new climate and sustainability strategy. The event created a shared space for discussion, encouraging the campus community to help shape Western’s climate priorities and sustainability action.
SDG Month Canada at Western
Western participated in SDG Month Canada 2025 by inviting campus partners to host events that encouraged conversation and collaboration around the Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative opened opportunities for the campus community to participate in SDG-related programming, including climate and sustainability discussions. By using events to raise awareness and encourage engagement, Western helped connect students, staff and faculty with climate action and broader sustainability goals.
Operations
Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Net-Zero Operations Target
Western has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 45% by 2030, compared with 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissions for campus operations by 2050 or sooner. This commitment guides operational decisions across energy use, buildings, transportation and infrastructure planning. By setting measurable emissions targets, Western creates a framework for reducing the climate impact of its campus operations over time.
District Energy System Decarbonization
Western is decarbonizing its district energy system through major upgrades to the university’s central heating infrastructure. The installation of two electric boilers is expected to produce about 40% of the university’s steam and reduce overall campus emissions by 20–30%. This project is a major operational step toward Western’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target.
Deep Energy Retrofit Program
Western’s Deep Energy Retrofit Program improves the energy efficiency and emissions performance of existing buildings by upgrading equipment, building systems and control strategies. The program focuses on reducing energy demand in buildings that are already in use, rather than only relying on new construction to meet sustainability goals. These retrofits can include improvements to heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and automation systems, helping buildings operate more efficiently while reducing unnecessary energy consumption. The program lowers building-level carbon emissions, improves campus infrastructure performance, and supports Western’s broader efforts to reduce the climate impact of its operations.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Research
Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory
Western’s Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory (CSSL) contributes to climate action research by investigating extreme weather events such as tornadoes, hail, and flash floods. Through initiatives like the Northern Tornadoes and Hail Projects, CSSL collects high-resolution data to improve forecasting, risk assessment, and public safety. Its open-access model and collaborations with national partners support knowledge-sharing and innovation. This research helps communities adapt to climate-related hazards and strengthens Canada’s resilience to increasingly severe weather patterns.
Nature-based Carbon Solutions
Dr. Mensink’s project, Nature-based Carbon Solutions, 
explores nature-based carbon solutions through land conservancy partnerships. By measuring carbon stored in forests, wetlands, and grasslands, and evaluating restoration impacts, the research supports climate mitigation. It also develops GIS tools to guide land trusts in estimating carbon sequestration potential. This work contributes to evidence-based strategies for preserving ecosystems and enhancing carbon storage across Southwestern Ontario.
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Teaching
Campus as a Living Lab
Western’s Campus as a Living Lab program transforms university grounds into a hands-on teaching environment where students apply classroom knowledge to real-world sustainability challenges. Through interdisciplinary projects—from energy modeling and ecosystem management to flood mitigation and biodiversity enhancement—students gain practical experience while contributing to campus improvements. This approach deepens understanding of environmental issues and encourages innovative thinking, preparing students to lead sustainable change in their future careers.
Master of Environment and Sustainability
Western’s Master of Environment and Sustainability (MES) program equips students to address climate challenges through interdisciplinary learning and applied experience. With coursework focused on climate change, conservation, and waste reduction, students gain practical skills in environmental consulting, stakeholder engagement, and project management. The program includes a co-op term and real-world client projects, preparing graduates to lead climate-responsive initiatives across sectors and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.
Geography and Environment
Western’s undergraduate
Geography and Environment program integrates climate action into teaching by bridging natural and social sciences. Students explore the causes and impacts of climate change through courses like Connecting for Climate Change Action, which combines Indigenous and Western knowledge systems. The program emphasizes experiential learning, systems thinking, and community engagement, preparing students to understand environmental challenges and contribute to sustainable solutions across diverse sectors.
Outreach
Riverfest
Riverfest engages the Western community in climate action through hands-on environmental restoration and education. By combining shoreline cleanups, tree planting, and interactive learning, the event fosters awareness of local climate impacts and promotes sustainable practices. It operationalizes outreach by connecting students, staff, and partners in collaborative efforts to protect ecosystems and build resilience against climate-related challenges.
ClimateChangeCon
ClimateChangeCon at Western University empowers graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to share innovative climate research and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Organized by the Western Climate Centre, the conference operationalizes outreach through presentations, networking, and knowledge exchange. It builds capacity for climate action by connecting emerging scholars with faculty, community members, and policymakers in a dynamic, solutions-focused environment.
EnviroCon
EnviroCon at Western University fosters climate-focused dialogue and collaboration by bringing together students, faculty, and community partners to share research and solutions on environmental challenges. Hosted by the Centre for Environment and Sustainability, the event operationalizes outreach through interdisciplinary presentations, networking, and knowledge exchange—empowering participants to take informed action on climate issues locally and globally.
Operations
Ivey’s Net-zero Committment
Ivey Business
School’s net-zero commitment by 2034 strengthens sustainable campus operations through targeted reductions in direct and indirect emissions. The plan includes infrastructure retrofits, energy conservation, and clean technology evaluations. It also addresses waste, paper use, and business travel, with progress tracked through new sustainability metrics. Community engagement and behavior-based initiatives complement capital projects, ensuring collective accountability and long-term impact across Ivey’s facilities and operational practices.
Michael Newark Digitized Tornado Archive
The Michael Newark Digitized Tornado Archive, housed at Western University, operationalizes climate data stewardship by curating and maintaining a comprehensive, open-access record of Canadian tornado events. It supports research, teaching, and emergency planning through detailed meteorological data and geospatial tools. This initiative strengthens Western’s institutional capacity to address extreme weather impacts through informed, evidence-based decision-making and community engagement.
WeCLISH Climate Café
Western’s Centre for Climate Change,
Sustainable Livelihoods and Health hosts a Climate Café that offers a unique educational space for informal, inclusive conversations on climate change. Hosted monthly via Zoom, it brings together researchers, students, policymakers, and community members to explore climate topics through dialogue rather than debate. By encouraging respectful, evidence-informed exchanges, the Café builds climate literacy, supports interdisciplinary learning, and strengthens community engagement—key components of effective climate action education.