Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Research
Advancing Carbon Transformation with Biochar
Dr Naomi Klinghoffer, a Western Fellow in the Nature-inspired Solutions for Carbon Transformation theme, focuses on utilizing biochar to combat climate change. Biochar, produced through pyrolysis of decomposing plants, captures carbon and serves as a sustainable agricultural product. Collaborating with Chris DeGroot and Elizabeth Webb, Klinghoffer explores biochar’s potential for carbon storage and soil enhancement. Her research advocates for a circular economy, transforming waste into value and developing sustainable processes to reduce environmental impacts.
The Northern Hail Project
The Northern Hail Project (NHP) at Western aims to enhance understanding of damaging hail storms and improve hail detection across Canada. Supported by various grants and funds, NHP focuses on improving severe storm prediction, mitigating harm to people and property, and exploring future climate change impacts. NHP also provides a dashboard summarizing events investigated by its Storm Survey Team. The data, searchable by date, event type, and collected information, covers hail events under investigation and is accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.
Teaching
Solutions for Carbon Transformation Workshop
The Western Academy for Advanced Research hosted a workshop on new developments in carbon transformation. The event included an interactive “Design Thinking” session where participants collaboratively developed solutions to address climate change. The workshop was part of the Nature-Inspired Solutions for Carbon Transformation theme at the Western Academy for Advanced Research, offering hands-on learning experiences to explore innovative ways to tackle climate change.
Graduate Diploma in Climate Risk Assessment and Opportunity
This new multidisciplinary graduate diploma will equip learners with advanced skills in climate risk management, preparing them for impactful careers in climate change adaptation. Jointly offered by the Faculties of Engineering, Science, Social Science, and the Ivey School of Business, the program includes one core course and three discipline-specific courses relating to societal risks and adaptation to climate change.
Major in Climate Change and Society
This major prepares students to become leaders in addressing the climate crisis by exploring its human dimensions and societal impacts. This interdisciplinary program covers a wide range of topics, including the historical evolution of climate change, the current climate emergency, vulnerabilities, and the inequitable global impacts. Students also study sustainable solutions, equipping them with the tools to take meaningful action. Graduates can pursue diverse career paths in climate analysis, policymaking, environmental planning, and more, across government, private industries, NGOs, and other sectors.
Outreach
Net Zero Lab
The Net Zero Lab, established by the Centre for Building Sustainable Value at Ivey, mobilizes Ivey’s research and teaching expertise to help business leaders and policymakers navigate the complexities of the net-zero transition. Engaging leading Canadian businesses through dialogue, research, and collaboration, the Lab focuses on developing actionable net-zero strategies. It has produced publications such as Potential Pathways to a Net Zero Industrial Sector and Corporate Strategies for Net Zero. These works contribute to a deeper understanding of how companies can effectively pursue net-zero goals while avoiding pitfalls like greenwashing.
Respect and Protect the River
In April 2023, Western students, faculty, Indigenous community members, and representatives from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority gathered on the banks of Medway Creek to plant 200 native shrubs and 100 tree cuttings. The live stake planting event was part of a Campus as a Living Lab project to resist erosion, mitigate flooding, and improve water quality for years to come.
SDG Week at Western
Western SDG Week 2024 supports SDG Week Canada, a national initiative to engage university and college campuses with the 17 UN SDGs. The Western SDG Week included events like How to Cope with Climate Anxiety, which addressed the emotional challenges of living in a warming world, and the Community SDG Connections event, hosted in collaboration with the Pillar Nonprofit Network. These events fostered meaningful collaboration and dialogue among both on- and off-campus members involved in advancing SDG initiatives, strengthening the collective effort towards achieving the SDGs.
Operations
Path to Net-Zero at Western
Western is committed to reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy on campus, with goals to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 45% by 2030 (relative to 2005 levels) and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Key initiatives include implementing an energy loop that upgrades the chilled water network for year-round operation, enabling energy sharing between buildings. New constructions and retrofits through the Deep Energy Retrofit Program are designed to integrate with this energy loop, achieving a 60%-80% reduction in GHG emissions.
Declaration on Planetary Health
The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, along with other leading academic health institutions, has signed the Academic Health Institutions’ Declaration on Planetary Health. This commitment calls for training healthcare professionals to incorporate planetary health into their practice and research, with a focus on communities most affected by climate change. The declaration emphasizes integrating Indigenous traditional knowledge, supporting planetary health research, and adopting a patient-planetary co-benefit approach, where both patient health and environmental impact are considered in medical decisions.
Sustainable Procurement & Retail
Western encourages students, staff, and faculty to make sustainable purchasing decisions by choosing second-hand items, ethical brands, shopping locally, and considering the social impacts of their purchases. For tips on making sustainable choices, check out our Sustainable Living Guide for the Western Community. Western also integrates sustainability into its procurement and retail practices, aligning with its sustainability values and goals. Procurement Services is guided by the new Supplier Code of Conduct, while Western Retail Services, through its Environmental Sustainability Policy, collaborates with campus partners, community groups, and vendors to support environmental well-being. Initiatives like eliminating plastic bags at the Bookstore and enforcing ethical practices with the Code of Conduct for Trademark Licensees demonstrate this commitment.
