SDG 15 - Strategic Initiatives

SDG15-strategicini.png

Ecosystem Biodiversity
Ecosystem Education
Species Conservation
Local Biodiversity
Water Discharge Guidelines
Sustainable Use of Land
Sustainable Food
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Tourism
Conservation of Ecosystems
Species Conservation
Invasive Species
Local Ecosystem Collaboration
Plastic Waste Reduction
Hazardous Waste Disposal

Maintain Biodiversity of Ecosystems

Western engages in research, industry, and local community collaboration to maintain and enhance ecosystems and biodiversity, including those under threat. 

living-lab-2.png

Ecosystem Education

eco-edu1.png

Western offers educational programs on ecosystems, including about flora and fauna, for local and national communities.

Species Conservation  species-conservation.png

The government of Canada passed the Species at Risk Act (SARA) to prevent wildlife species in Canada from becoming extinct, endangered, or threatened. Environment and Natural Resources is responsible for listing species in Canada, and uses the IUCN Red List as a resource.  

Before any habitats are disturbed, a thorough Environmental Assessment is conducted to identify and monitor species at risk and their critical habitats.

Western University adheres to SARA by protecting critical habitats and ensuring that our operations do not harm these areas. We encourage students to contribute to species recovery efforts by supporting them in applying for Habitat Stewardship Program grants. 

We are also conducting a Biodiversity Inventory on our main campus to identify and monitor environmentally significant features for long-term ecological assessment. Participants are trained to follow guidelines for recording sensitive species, including Species at Risk, to minimize harm and ensure compliance with conservation protocols. As of 2023, observers have found 22 at-risk species through this project.

Local Biodiversity in Planning  

ontario-bio-1.png

Western takes into account local biodiversity in the planning and development process.  

Sustainable Design Guidelines ensures projects are designed, constructed, and operated to have a minimal impact on the natural campus ecology. 

Western's Open Space Strategy emphasizes preserving biodiversity by enhancing and maintaining natural areas on campus. Reclaiming asphalt to create more greenspace, planting trees, removing invasive species, and protecting the tree canopy are all prioritized. 

Building sites go through the Ontario Environment Assessment Process including a review by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to assess biodiversity concerns. 

Water Discharge Guidelines  water-discharge-guidelines.png

Western University has comprehensive policies to prevent and reduce marine pollution, particularly from land-based activities. These policies ensure polluted water does not enter the water system, including from accidents and incidents. 

The university abides by federal, provincial, and municipal regulations such as the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Ontario Water Resources Act, and London’s Water By-law (W-8) and Waste Discharge By-law (WM-16). These regulations prohibit the discharge of pollutants into bodies of water and ensure high water quality.

Western’s Policy on Environment and Sustainability promotes sustainability and waste reduction. Procedures include handling and disposing of contaminated biowaste, emergency response plans, and regular safety audits. Key policies include:

Western also has a plan to minimize alterations to local ecosystems and implements practices to protect these ecosystems, such as: 

Sustainable Use of Land

Western supports and organizes events aimed at promoting the conservation and sustainable utilization of land, including forests. 

western supports sustainable use of land

  • Community Field Course in Land Healing and Responsibility: This community-based experiential course combines in-class discussions with community-based research. Students will train in methodologies and ethics of working with Indigenous communities. Areas of research include ecological restoration, land claims, and urban issues. 
  • EnviroCon: An interdisciplinary conference organized every year for students, faculty, and community members involved in environment and sustainability. Topics have included Acclimation Capacity of Photosynthesis and Respiration to Temperature in Dominant Mature Boreal Conifer Tree Species. 
  • Advancing Regenerative Agriculture in Canada: Farming both relies on and impacts soil health, biodiversity, and water outcomes. This report emphasizes the principle of regenerative agriculture in adopting farming principles that seek to enhance ecosystems. 
  • The Deshkan Ziibi Conservation Impact Bond: A place-based collaboration and financial instrument to accelerate healthy landscapes in the spirit and practice of reconciliation. It aims to protect the values of nature for monetary, sociocultural, and ecological returns in the Carolinian Zone. 
  • Conservation Impact Bond—Brief for Policy-Makers: Financial participants provide an immediate pool of funds to accelerate a Healthy Landscape Portfolio of “on-the-ground” habitat projects delivered by diverse and experienced groups and landowners. These projects could include protecting biodiversity; planting trees; restoring waterways; removing invasive species; growing native plants; installing seed orchards; connecting natural infrastructure; and implementing nature-smart climate solutions, urban forestry, or regenerative agriculture. 
  • Forest City Tree Festival: Supported by the Western Sustainable Impact Fund and run in collaboration with the City of London, ReForest London and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, the community festival is “all about celebrating the important role trees and forests play in our lives”. Activities include guided hikes, panel discussions, tree planting, and a native plant and seed exchange. 
  • Newport Forest: A 46-hectare closed conservation area—it is not open to the public, and all trespassing, including hunting, fishing, and walking are forbidden. The dream is to create a National Forest, with these tracts as nuclei for a massive reforestation project. Researchers perform ecological monitoring and biological inventorying, which found more than 1,700 species. Contact the Thames Talbot Land Trust to arrange for a guided tour. 
  • Ecologies in Practice: The podcast and workshop series focuses on the environment and explores environmental issues and climate change from an artistic perspective. 
  • Curatorial Tour and Talk: This project developed a hands-on workshop focused on ethical mining operations.

Sustainable Food

Western’s Hospitality Services have a public commitment to sustainably farmed food in their Sustainability Commitment Report. They prioritize purchases of products from local, sustainable sources. 

  • Buying Local: How do we define local? Anything produced, raised, or processed in Ontario! 
  • Fair Trade: Hospitality Services went Fair Trade in 2015! We offer coffee, tea, and chocolate bars. 
  • Sustainable Seafood: High Liner Foods, the main seafood supplier for Residence Dining, has pledged to source responsibly, with 99% of their supply certified as sustainable or responsible, and Bento Sushi is MSC-certified. 
  • Meatless and Vegan: Residence dining serves 48% of their menu options as meatless, and half are completely vegan. 
  • Nutrition Support: A registered dietician is available to support food allergies and special diets like halal, vegan, and gluten-free. 
  • Nutrislice: This interactive portal allows students to explore the emissions grade of their meal choices. 
  • Honeybees: Great Hall Catering maintains honeybee hives on campus, from which honey is used in various recipes, made available for tea and coffee, and bottled for sale. 
  • MealCare: Western partners with the NGO MealCare to rescue surplus food and redistribute it to feed those in need in our community. 

Western partners with Second Harvest to support local communities and reduce food waste.

Sustainable Agriculture

sustainable agriculture

Western’s Ivey Business School offers free and paid educational programs for local and national communities on sustainable management of land for agriculture. 

The Agri-Food System at Ivey’s Centre for Building Sustainable Value (BSV) conducts research on Canada’s agri-food system and its linkages with sustainability challenges. The system spans supply chains and involves farmers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers that operate at local, provincial, national, and even international levels. BSV seeks to shape the path towards an ecologically sound, fair future. 

  • Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Accelerator (“Regenerator”) Initiative: Through a 16-week intensive paid program, selected ventures receive hands-on mentorship and educational training from in-house experts and industrial partners. 
  • System Transformation Pathways Initiative: Convenes key Canadian agri-food system stakeholders to characterize a shared vision of the future agri-food system and then clarify critical pathways (e.g., technology, sourcing, and production paradigms; financial models) and actions that can accelerate the transformation towards this ideal future. 
  • Future of Agri-food Event Series: Free sessions build awareness in key networks (executive leaders in business and finance) concerning key opportunities and challenges in agri-food for Canada, especially the critical issues associated with a just climate transition. 
  • Advancing Regenerative Agriculture in Canada: This free, online flipbook is a detailed, evidence-based account of today’s Canadian agriculture system so anyone interested in sustainable farming can understand the industry. A diverse set of perspectives is needed to succeed in achieving a just transition to regenerative agriculture. 
  • Colloquium on Collective Action for Resilient, Just Agriculture: The event convened partners from farming communities, farmer associations, government, industry, municipalities, non-profits, Indigenous communities, and academia to explore how agricultural systems can operate more sustainably while making food accessible and affordable for Canadians. 
  • The Bio-Economy is the Future We See: Ivey’s inaugural Idea Forum facilitated a discussion on how innovative business models and new financial instruments can stem biodiversity loss and positively impact corporate bottom lines. 
  • Canadian Circular Economy Summit: This summit engages thought leaders from the private sector, public sector, and academia to drive projects, investments, and policies that advance circularity in support of Canada’s climate, biodiversity, and innovation goals. By presenting how circular solutions for upcycling food waste can significantly cut emissions, it highlights the role of sustainability in shaping a low-carbon future. 

Sustainable Tourism

Western offers education and outreach about sustainable management of land for tourism. 

an image with icons that represents sustainable tourism

  • (Re)Theorising Touristic Governance in the Shadow of Empire: King’s University College hosted an international, interdisciplinary workshop on the impact of tourism as a political force.  
  • Geography of Tourism Course: An examination of tourism as a global, national, and local phenomenon, with economic, social, and environmental impacts. Topics include tourism theory, major tourist destinations, climate change impacts, media influences, hosts, guests, and local tourism. 
  • Anthropology of Tourism Course: Critically examines tourism, particularly its effects on both hosts and guests. Topics will include tourism and culture; the political and economic issues connected with tourism; tourism and the environment, with special attention to ecotourism; and conflict over resources. 
  • Land Use Planning Course: Establishes the foundations of planning, why it is important, and the impact that it has on the physical forms of our cities and communities and how we use them, including culture and heritage planning, planning ethics, politics of planning, and planning to address climate change. 
  • Graduate Diploma in Climate Risk Assessment and Opportunity: The knowledge of climate risks can be used proactively to help companies plan for expected risks that may impact their business or industry and help mitigate the issues climate change can cause. This diploma prepares for a career as an environmental risk assessor, an eco-tourist researcher, an urban planner, and more. 
  • Western Alumni Travel: Western Advancement facilitates travel experiences for alumni, through a carefully selected agency—AHI Travel—that prioritizes sustainability. This agency collaborates with like-minded partners who share our commitment to respecting and preserving the planet’s resources.

Conservation of Ecosystems

The preservation and protection of Western’s natural environment and ecosystems, which includes forests, is paramount to maintaining the outdoor character and sense of place of the campus. 

  • Western’s Open Space Strategy: In section 6.6 Woodlots, Management of Natural Areas, and Campus Ecology Strategy, guidelines for campus development include: 
    • Preservation of existing woodlots as a priority; 
    • Increasing canopy coverage by planting trees, or enhancing existing areas with succession plantings; 
    • Landscape planting should complement the natural environment and contribute positively to natural processes; 
    • Extending woodlot coverage through new tree massings, transitioning maintained sod areas into naturalized meadow areas; 
    • Woodlots and natural areas along river corridors should be reviewed to identify and remove any potential invasive species that may harm local plant communities; 
    • Trees should be preserved where possible; and 
    • Where distinctive trees must be removed for future development, site planting designs should look to replace (at a minimum) or exceed the number of trees removed. 
  • Ivey Centre for Building Sustainable Value Mission & Strategy Overview: This strategy document elaborates on the mission to shape pathways of systems change towards an ecologically sound, fair future: 
    • With 6.5% of Canada’s land utilized for crops and grazing, agriculture is a major force of biodiversity decline across all classifications of organisms. As we tackle inequalities, we also must work towards the development of agri-food systems that are harmonious with nature. 
    • Research focuses on frontier applications of sustainable finance in Canada—including ecosystem conservation, blended finance, and Indigenous communities. 
  • Sustainable Design Guidelines: Establishes minimum performance criteria for buildings and sites, strengthens best practices of sustainable design, and encourages advanced building performance over time: 
    • Projects must be designed, constructed, and operated to have a minimal impact on the natural campus ecology. 
    • Projects are LEED certified. LEED incorporate principles such as, site selection to minimize environmental impact, protecting habitats, native plantings, creating of greenspace, sustainable water resource management, use of sustainable building materials, and ecological restoration. 

Species Conservation

biodiversity inventory at western

Western identifies, monitors, and protects endangered and threatened species within universities areas, in line with national guidelines and policies that inform its species-at-risk protection initiatives, as shown below. 

  • Species at Risk Act (SARA): The government of Canada passed SARA to prevent wildlife species in Canada from becoming extinct, endangered, or threatened. Environment and Natural Resources is responsible for listing species in Canada and uses the IUCN Red List as a resource. 
  • Environmental Assessments: Before any habitats are disturbed, a thorough environmental assessment is conducted, per Ontario law, to identify and monitor species at risk and their critical habitats. 
  • Habitat Stewardship Program: Western University adheres to SARA by protecting critical habitats and ensuring that our operations do not harm these areas. We encourage students to contribute to species recovery efforts by supporting them in applying for Habitat Stewardship Program grants. 
  • Biodiversity Inventory: We are also conducting a Biodiversity Inventory on our main campus to identify and monitor environmentally significant features for long-term ecological assessment. Participants are trained to follow guidelines for recording sensitive species, including Species at Risk, to minimize harm and ensure compliance with conservation protocols. As of 2023, observers have found 22 at-risk species through this project. 
  • Western Skylark: Next generation tracking of migratory wildlife, including songbirds, waterbirds, and shorebirds, contributes to a better understanding of animal movements and supports conservation efforts. 
  • Master of Environment and Sustainability: This master’s program builds professional skills to be prepared upon graduation to address some of today’s most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges such as climate change, waste reduction, and conservation. Andie Albert is using her degree to become her community’s species-at-risk specialist in the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. 
  • The Dr. Laurie L. Consaul Herbarium: Located centrally in the Carolinian zone, the herbarium partners with Carolinian Canada to produce educational and outreach material on species and habitats at risk in the Carolinian Zone.
  • Western Centre for Animals on the Move (CAM): This centre conducts research on how, why, and where animals move. Designing effective conservation actions for migratory and non-migratory species in Canada is a major conservation challenge. CAM informs the way we measure, approach, communicate, and ultimately interact with mobile animal species. 

Invasive Species

Western’s policy on reducing invasive species (alien species) on campus can be found in: 

  • Western’s Open Space Strategy: Guidelines for campus development include: 
    • Natural Woodlots: Removal of any invasive species and continued monitoring; 
    • Thames River: Removal of invasive species to open sightlines to the river; 
    • Medway Creek: Remove invasive species along the existing footpaths which fall on Western University property; 
    • Woodlots, Management of Natural Areas, and Campus Ecology Strategy: Woodlots and natural areas along river corridors should be reviewed to identify and remove any potential invasive species that may harm local plant communities; and 
    • Planting Design Guidelines: Use of invasive plant species will be avoided. In locations where existing invasive species have established, specifically those located in the natural areas of the campus, these plants should be removed. 
  • Campus as a Living Lab: Projects create cohesion between academic and operational aspects of the university, leading to a more integrated campus environment. 
    • Buckthorn Bust: A systemic initiative to document buckthorn’s spread around campus, placing special emphasis on areas where this invasive species is predominant, to ensure prompt action. It is an invaluable hands-on experience for Master of Environment and Sustainability students, tasking them with data collection, species identification, and the physical removal of buckthorn in the area.

Local Ecosystem Collaboration

Western collaborates with the local community to maintain shared land ecosystems. 

  • Campus as a Living Lab: Brings together collaborations of faculty, staff, students, community, and industry partners. Projects and events support biodiversity, conservation, visual arts, land restoration, improved energy systems, and more. 
  • Western Riverfest: Deshkan Ziibi (Thames River) connects Western University with the broader London community. The annual Riverfest celebration provides unique opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and community members to learn, enjoy, and honour the river. 
  • Forest City Tree Festival: Supported by the Western Sustainable Impact Fund and run in collaboration with the City of London, ReForest London, and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, the community festival is “all about celebrating the important role trees and forests play in our lives”. Activities include guided hikes, panel discussions, tree planting, and a native plant and seed exchange. 
  • Nature-Based Solutions: Ivey Business School professors argue that: Any measure of biodiversity must be sensitive to local ecosystems and local communities. It needs to build on local knowledge, especially from people who live on the land in question, such as Indigenous Peoples. They engage local feedback into their research at the Centre for Building Sustainable Value. 
  • Western Research Parks Innovation: Academia meets industry in state-of-the-art spaces, including offices, wet labs, and industrial collaborative spaces, set in inspiring buildings and open parklands. Founded and led by Western graduates, PolyAnalytik is one of 53 businesses at Western Research Parks, which analyzes and improves products and technologies used in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, as well as in agriculture. 
  • Community Garden: This is a place to ease anxiety over climate change, build knowledge and community, and get healthier. A new handbook—a simple guide to educate newcomers to the community garden, including checklists and planting tips—conveys garden history, the benefits of gardening, and other important information. 
  • Connecting for Climate Change Action: A free, publicly available award-winning course braids together Eurowestern science and Indigenous Knowledges and perspectives, educates on climate change, and inspires learners to use that knowledge to take action in their local ecosystem. 

western community gardenOlivia D'Andrea Brooks and Rubiga Thanganathan (L to R) studied Western's community garden in a year-long research project, part of the university's Campus as a Living Lab program. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)

Plastic Waste Reduction

Western is committed to reducing plastic waste on campus. Our policies include: 

  • Eliminating plastic bottled water: As of January 2024, Western stopped selling plastic bottled water on campus at any university functions, vending machines, or by any on-campus restaurants or vendors. Free, accessible water is available across campus at more than 200 refill stations. 
  • What Goes Where at Western: Western has multiple waste streams to divert as much as possible from landfills to recycling, re-use, and organics. 
  • Snack Wrapper Recycling: A student initiative has placed snack wrapper recycling boxes in many buildings across campus, focusing on high-traffic areas where people often eat. 
  • Compostable and recyclable containers: Hospitality Services have replaced conventional single-use plastic containers throughout campus operations. 
  • Straws, stir sticks, bags, and cutlery: We have replaced plastic straws with paper ones, plastic stir sticks with wooden options, and plastic bags with paper alternatives. Compostable cutlery and to-go dishware are available in all residence dining halls and at our catering events, and all disposable hot beverage containers are routed to the “organics” stream. 
  • Sustainability Guide for the Western Community: Reduces plastic waste on campus by promoting the use of reusable products, encouraging proper recycling practices, and emphasizing the importance of repurposing items. 

In addition, Western is producing innovative research on converting plastics to other usable materials: 

  • Upcycling PET into Food: Professor Joshua Pearce conducts research on ways to harvest edible microbial protein powder from plastic-eating microorganisms to make food. 
  • Fallona Family Interdisciplinary Science Award: Award winner Patricia Corcoran is a leading expert on microplastics pollution research, influencing disparate worlds of science and art with her discovery and depictions of human-caused pollution. 
  • Hemp-based Biomaterial: Elizabeth Gillies has worked to develop a new biodegradable, hemp-based material that could serve as a sustainable substitute for plastic packaging needs for a wide variety of products. 
  • Biodegradable Bioplastics: Rebecca Koshy, a fourth-year chemical and biochemical engineering student has pioneered an innovative solution to the plastic pollution problem by developing biodegradable bioplastics. 
  • Tracking Plastic Waste: Next Generation Manufacturing (NGen) partnered with Ivey’s Innovation North to find solutions to plastic waste. NGen uses the information gleaned from the project to identify opportunities to secure supply chains, protect the environment, improve healthcare, support technology adoption, and facilitate digital transformations across Canada’s manufacturing sector. 

Hazardous Waste Disposal

Western University has policies on hazardous waste disposal that include: