Climate Change

International Students

U of T Mississauga

Undergraduate Students

Subheadline

“What’s happening at UTM is truly inspiring, and it’s an honour to spread awareness about it in the global community”

When Vera Allue learned that she would represent the University of Toronto Mississauga at COP29 in Azerbaijan, it reaffirmed her belief that she made the right choice as an international student dedicated to climate action.

A first-year student from Spain, Allue says she didn’t realize the scale of U of T’s leadership in sustainability until she came to the university.

“I knew everything here was very modern, and I noticed all the small but important ways that the campus promotes sustainability in areas like waste management and food services – but I didn’t know about the systems and infrastructure behind it,” says Allue, who is pursuing a double major in economics and political science with a minor in environmental law and policy.

“Then I read UTM’s [Climate Positive Plan] to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2043.”

The plan, which includes a commitment – adopted by all three campuses – to become climate-positive by 2050, is one of several initiatives that Allue will spread the word about at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference, beginning Nov. 11 and ending Nov. 22.

She’s also going to showcase U of T Mississauga’s local strategies to address climate change, in addition to its array of educational and research programs on environmental issues – efforts that have contributed to U of T being named the most sustainable university in the world in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.

“What’s happening at UTM is truly inspiring, and it’s an honour to spread awareness about it in the global community,” says Allue, who also looks forward to sharing her learnings from the conference with the U of T Mississauga community when she returns.

For Allue, attending the pre-eminent global gathering on climate change is a culmination of her efforts to engage with and raise awareness about climate issues.

When she was only 15 years old, she started a recycling and wastewater project in her hometown of Soria in northern Spain. “I wanted to educate my peers about what they could do, because climate action is often perceived as something that belongs to powerful stakeholders,” she says.

Allue has also been involved with several international organizations that encourage youth to participate in politics and civil society, with a strong focus on environmental issues: she’s currently a European Union (EU) Young European Ambassador and a member of the European Youth Energy Network, which she will also represent at COP29.

Vera Allue started a recycling and wastewater management project in her community when she was 15 (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

During her short time at U of T, Allue has gotten involved in several sustainability initiatives, including the UTM Sustainability Ambassador program and the Student Association for Geography, Geomatics and the Environment (SAGE).

She says the support she has received from U of T Mississauga’s Sustainability Office in attending COP29 is proof of the university’s steadfast belief in students’ potential to effect change.

“What I'm really looking forward to is bringing to COP29 the sense of belonging and pride that I feel in UTM’s climate action,” says Allue.

“When I first started contributing to the environmental field, I felt like my voice was barely heard. Now I feel so much optimism because I’ve found spaces like UTM that actively encourage young people to speak up and participate.”

U of T researcher tracks 1,000 years of sea ice

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:18:44 +0000

U of T researcher tracks 1,000 years of sea ice

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 10/15/2024 - 13:18

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Minoli Dias, a PhD student at U of T Mississauga, examines coralline algae, which live for approximately 1,500 years and grow in annual layers, to construct a record of changes in sea ice cover over time (photo by Natasha Leclerc)

Topic

Research & Innovation

U of T Mississauga

Subheadline

Minoli Dias says the baseline data she and her fellow researchers are constructing could "inform model projections that predict what future conditions will look like”

Minoli Dias’s interest in sea ice began in an unlikely place: polar bear poop.

She was studying microplastics in polar bear feces and intestinal tracts as part of a research project during her undergraduate years at Queen’s University.

“It was a smelly job, but it was really interesting,” says Dias, who is now a PhD student in the department of Earth sciences at U of T Mississauga.

Her early work revealed some troubling trends: for instance, declining sea ice levels meant that certain species of polar bears were being driven inland – with garbage and landfills increasingly serving as their food sources. At the same time, members of northern communities, particularly the Inuit, had noted in their own experiences, observations and research that declining sea ice levels had impacted access to essential needs – such as transportation, food security through hunting, and other culturally important activities.

It wasn't long before Dias decided she wanted to pursue sea ice research – and ultimately chose to study at U of T Mississauga after speaking with Jochen Halfar, a paleoclimate and paleontology professor and researcher in U of T Mississauga’s Climate Geology Research Group. “UTM gave him a wonderful lab, and we have incredible facilities. But his research and his passion for the work was what really drew me,” she says.

Now part of Halfar’s research group studying changes in sea ice cover in northern Labrador, Dias and her co-researchers are developing sea-ice cover records for the past 1,000 years off the coast of Nunatsiavut and are examining coralline algae as part of their research.

Minoli Dias's view from the research vessel off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador (photo by Minoli Dias)

Dias says that coralline algae live for approximately 1,500 years and they grow in annual layers (like tree rings). The growth, she explains, is dependent on light. When the algae have more light, meaning there’s less sea ice in the water, they grow a lot thicker. When they have less light, meaning there’s more sea ice cover, the layers grow thinner. By examining these variations and growth over time along with chemical tracers, the research team can essentially watch the sea ice cover change.

Dias conducted field work in the community of Agvituk (Hopedale), N.L. this past summer. The lab also explored multiple sites in Greenland, Norway, Nunavut and the Labrador coast.

“If we can create a network of these types of ocean reconstructions, we’ll be able to have this baseline data going back several centuries that can then hopefully inform model projections that predict what future conditions will look like,” she says.

Since joining the lab, Dias says she has had some incredible experiences – including a recent opportunity to work with members of the Hopedale community.

“We’re not the experts. We don’t live there. It’s the people who live along the coast – and actually live the change and see the change – who are the experts,” she says. “When you speak to community members, they have a clear understanding of how changes occurred over time, and what is the importance of sea ice to these ecosystems.”

Once she completes her PhD, Dias hopes to continue pursuing climate research by either working directly with impacted communities or working to address the effects of pollution or climate change.

Dias says she feels inspired by the many women scientists who came before her, including her female professors who have served as role models in what traditionally has been a male-dominated field.

“They paved the way for us to be able to do the work that we do, and to do it in relative comfort,” she says. “Having these women to look up to is what makes it possible for me to do the type of work that I do, and I hope I can make a similar contribution and pay it forward to the women that are coming after me.”

Climate change set to disrupt urban wildlife, study finds

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 08 May 2024 18:31:39 +0000

Climate change set to disrupt urban wildlife, study finds

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 05/08/2024 - 14:31

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Coyotes are among the urban animals expected to be most negatively affected by climate change (photo by Thomas Shockey via Pexels)

Topic

Subheadline

Researchers estimated that 40 to 195 species would disappear in Toronto, while 159 to 360 new species could emerge

Animal populations living in North American cities are likely to undergo a significant shift as changes to the Earth’s climate intensify – and that, in turn, is likely to have an impact on us.

That is among the key findings of a University of Toronto study led by Alessandro Filazzola, who was recently a post-doctoral researcher in U of T Mississauga’s Centre for Urban Environments (CUE), a transdisciplinary research centre focused on promoting healthy urban environments.

Alessandro Filazzola (supplied image)

Filazzola used computer modelling to project the impact of global warming on more than 2,000 terrestrial animal species in the 60 most populated cities in Canada and the United States. He made predictions according to three different scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions and urban land use.

Published recently in the journal PLOS One, the study shows that across all three scenarios each of the 60 cities will experience both substantial gains and losses of urban species by the end of this century. In Toronto, for example, 40 to 195 species that currently live in Canada’s largest city are predicted to disappear, while 159 to 360 new species could emerge.

“Most Canadians live in cities, and the nature we interact with every day is in our backyard or local park,” says Filazzola, who has a PhD in biology and works as a data scientist focused on conserving biodiversity.

“The whole sea change in the assemblage of animals that live in our cities will have a large impact on how we behave in our day-to-day activities and what we value.”

Filazzola conducted the research with Marc Johnson, a professor of biology at U of T Mississauga and former director of CUE. His work was also supervised by Scott MacIvor, an associate professor of biological sciences.

To gather data on animal species, the researchers – who engaged leaders from Credit Valley Conservation, Conservation Halton and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to understand their top concerns in managing biodiversity – turned to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, a free public resource featuring data about all types of life on Earth.

They modelled the historic and future distributions of 2,019 land-based animals in highly developed cities – 13 in Canada and 47 in the U.S. – with more than 400,000 residents. The computer modelling projections were shaped in part by bioclimactically relevant historical variables for each city, including average monthly minimum and maximum temperatures, and monthly precipitation.

The results predicted the highest introduction of new species in temperate cities – Quebec City and Ottawa in Canada, and Omaha and Kansas City in the U.S. Midwest. The largest declines in species are projected to take place in the subtropical parts of the U.S. and coastal California. Cities in arid parts of the U.S. – including Las Vegas, and Mesa and Tucson in Arizona – are expected to experience the fewest changes in species richness.

Meanwhile, cities that have historically experienced colder temperatures are predicted to have significantly higher gains in novel species and fewer losses in resident species. Urban areas with historically high precipitation were projected to have the highest species turnover – both the greatest gains and the largest losses. In the scenario with more intense development and greenhouse gas emissions, cities would experience significantly more species lost and gained.

The urban animals expected to be most negatively affected by climate change are amphibians, canines and loons.

“When the modelling predicts a big spike in temperature or a big drop in precipitation, you get a unique climate, and some species can endure it and some cannot – these are the ones that are probably going to be the most impacted and most likely to be lost,” Filazzola says.

The study notes that as urban ecosystems continue to transform due to global warming, shifts in our urban wildlife will have implications for our cultural identity and heritage – given how much animals figure into our national symbols and sports teams, the researchers say – and even our mental health.

“We know that having more green space and natural areas around us is very important for our well-being,” Johnson says. “If we lose nature, and the animals associated with it, it can negatively affect our psychological health.”

Students tackle impact of climate change at U of T Climate Impacts Hackathon

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 06 May 2024 16:44:57 +0000

Students tackle impact of climate change at U of T Climate Impacts Hackathon

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 05/06/2024 - 12:44

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Students, instructors and organizers participate in the inaugural Climate Impacts Hackathon (photo by Milan Ilnyckyj, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED)

Chris Sasaki

Topic

Institutional Strategic Initiative

Data Sciences Institute

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Undergraduate Students

Subheadline

Teams of undergraduate and graduate students grappled with problems that ranged from altering irrigation practices in Sudan to adapting snow-clearing plans in Ottawa

In the wake of Toronto’s warmest winter on record, students at the University of Toronto recently gathered for the inaugural U of T Climate Impacts Hackathon.

The event asked students to tackle several challenges brought by a warming planet: How should the City of Ottawa adapt its snow clearing plan in response to increased precipitation caused by our warming atmosphere? How should irrigation practices in Sudan change in response to higher temperatures and reduced rainfall? And where should new cooling stations – swimming pools, libraries, community centres, shopping malls – be located in an increasingly sweltering City of Toronto?

Participants included undergraduate and graduate students from a range of natural science and engineering disciplines, as well as from the humanities and social sciences. They were divided into teams and competed for prizes.

The hackathon was led by Paul Kushner, a professor of Earth, atmospheric and planetary physics in the department of physics in the Faculty of Arts & Science; and Karen Smith, an associate professor, teaching stream, in the department of physical and environmental sciences (DPES) at U of T Scarborough. Co-organizers included Michael Morris, a PhD candidate in the department of physics, and Francisco Camacho, a masters of environmental science student at DPES.

The event was hosted by the department of physics and the DPES; sponsors included Climate Positive Energy (CPE) – a U of T institutional strategic initiative – the Centre for Climate Science and Engineering (CSE) and the Cosmic Future Initiative.

The event kicked off with a wide-ranging discussion from a panel of climate experts with diverse perspectives.

Steve Easterbrook, director of the School of the Environment in the Faculty of Arts & Science, spoke about how climate models work and why we can trust them. Lisa MacTavish, project lead in resilience, climate resilience policy and research for the City of Toronto, shared how the city uses climate projections to manage infrastructure and crisis planning. And Daniel Posen, an associate professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, talked about his expertise at the intersection of climate change and engineering.

To develop their solutions, students used the University of Toronto Climate Downscaling Workflow (UTCDW) which includes the UTCDW Guidebook developed by Morris, Smith and Kushner, and the UTCDW Survey, a project design tool. The UTCDW was developed with the support of the CSE, CPE and the Data Sciences Institute, another U of T institutional strategic initiative.

Climate models or simulations typically work on a global scale; the UTCDW is designed to help researchers “downscale” what the models do in order to understand how smaller regions and even individual cities are being affected by climate change. The resulting projections can then inform decisions on a local level.

“In our proposal for support to develop these tools, we committed to holding this hackathon to roll them out,” says Kushner. “The intent is to encourage a better understanding of climate change impacts on different domains of application in an atmosphere of fun engagement and community cohort building.”

First prize was awarded to a team that tackled the cooling centre challenge. Using the downscaling tool, the team made detailed projections using temperature and humidity data. They considered vulnerable groups including children, the elderly, refugees and the underhoused; and they factored in education and income levels.

After surveying the current locations of the city’s cooling centres, the team came up with recommendations for six new centres located in areas that are currently underserved.

“We were very pleased and impressed at how far the student participants got in their analysis – how they creatively overcame technical and conceptual obstacles, and how they maintained a constructive and positive attitude as they grappled with the serious issues of climate change,” Kushner says.

SDGs@UofT brings scholars together in pursuit of UN Sustainable Development Goals

bresgead — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:58:16 +0000

SDGs@UofT brings scholars together in pursuit of UN Sustainable Development Goals

bresgead Mon, 04/22/2024 - 13:58

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(photo by NASA Goddard)

Topic

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

SDGs@UofT

Sustainable Development Goals

Joseph Wong

Subheadline

'The SDGs require innovative solutions, and universities are where cutting-edge innovations are discovered'

The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals serve as a blueprint for a better world – and universities have an essential role to play in fostering a shared future of peace and prosperity.

Members of SDGs@UofT, a University of Toronto institutional strategic initiative working to advance the goals ratified by the UN in 2015, are encouraging scholars and researchers from all disciplines – from humanities and social sciences, to public health, medicine and engineering – to lend their expertise to the collaborative effort to tackle complex global issues including poverty, hunger, gender equality, labour justice and climate change.

“The SDGs tackle problems that can never be solved by one sector or one discipline alone,” says Erica Di Ruggiero, an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and SDGs@U of T’s research director. “Many researchers see themselves working on one or two of them, but we can be that nexus at the University showing how to work on four or five together.”

But as the UN’s 2030 deadline for the SDGs fast approaches, universities need a bigger seat at the table to accelerate progress, providing a vital interdisciplinary perspective to understanding and addressing these worldwide problems, says Joseph Wong, U of T’s vice-president, international.

“The SDGs require innovative solutions, and universities are where cutting-edge innovations are discovered,” says Wong. “Gendered analysis and cultural context – both critical for the SDGs – happen here. We push the knowledge envelope and contribute to evidence-based policy, so the world has the supporting data for its decisions.”

Cleaner air, better ice: U of T acquires electric Zamboni for Varsity Arena

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:42:12 +0000

Cleaner air, better ice: U of T acquires electric Zamboni for Varsity Arena

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 02/16/2024 - 16:42

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U of T’s Varsity Arena joins an estimated quarter of the roughly 1,000 indoor rinks in Ontario that are now serviced by electric ice resurfacers (photo by Seyran Mammadov)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Subheadline

A growing number of Ontario rinks are moving away from gas-powered ice resurfacing machines since they can pollute indoor air

The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) has acquired an electric ice resurfacing machine for the Varsity Arena, a zero-emissions vehicle that will improve the quality of ice – and air.

Often referred to as “Zambonis” after Frank J. Zamboni, Jr., a block ice salesman who patented the technology in 1953, ice resurfacing machines maintain the skating surface by shaving the top layer of ice, washing the remaining ice and then spreading out an even layer of water that freezes between skate times.

But a growing number of rinks are now moving away from gas-powered Zambonis since they emit exhaust fumes that pollute indoor air.

“An electric Zamboni eliminates the source of indoor air pollution and reduces the ventilation requirements for the arena, which means energy savings and operational cost reductions for the facility,” says Ian Stephen, assistant facility manager at the Varsity Arena and Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

“It also provides a superior system of maintaining ice in the arena.”

U of T’s Varsity Arena joins an estimated quarter of the roughly 1,000 indoor rinks in Ontario now serviced by electric ice resurfacers following Health Canada’s 2021 recommendations to use electric resurfacers and edgers to improve air quality in arenas.

Ian Stephen, assistant facility manager at the Varsity and Goldring Centre, poses next to a newly purchased electric Zamboni (photo by Jill Clark)

The electric Zamboni also makes better ice by using laser beams, a technology first used in the construction industry to level ground. To set it up, the Varsity Arena rink pad had to be measured first without ice to factor in any high or low spots.

“With the laser mounted on a pole and the receiver on the Zamboni, the blade moves automatically to create the most level ice possible,” Stephen says.

Another new feature is so-called “fast ice,” which is created with misting jets on the back of the electric Zamboni.

“They mist water onto the ice as opposed to it dripping down and a flutter cloth just dragging the water and trying to fill in everything,” says Stephen. “The misting helps take some of the oxygen out of the water, which makes the ice harder when it freezes – so it also creates a better surface.”

While electric Zambonis are more expensive than the gas-powered models, they are expected to save on fuel and maintenance over their lifetimes.

“Think of all the savings on energy, water and time,” Stephens says.

In addition to the electric Zamboni, KPE has also replaced a pick-up truck that hauled equipment with an electric van – one of several environmentally conscious projects underway at the university.

U of T to cut carbon emissions in half on St. George campus by 2027

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 20:50:27 +0000

U of T to cut carbon emissions in half on St. George campus by 2027

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 02/02/2024 - 15:50

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(photo by David Lee)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Climate Positive Campus

Subheadline

Project Leap, a public-private project, is believed to be the largest sustainability effort in the higher education sector

The University of Toronto is accelerating efforts to decarbonize its St. George campus through a massive, $138-million infrastructure project that will cut emissions in half within three years.

Project Leap will begin phasing out natural gas in favour of electricity in the campus’s central steam plant and carry out deep energy retrofits to some of the most energy-intensive buildings.

Kickstarted with more than $50 million in Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) financing, the public-private sustainability project is among the largest in the higher-education sector. It will speed up the university’s efforts to make the St. George campus climate-positive, reducing more greenhouse gases than it emits, ahead of an original 2050 goal.

Ron Saporta, U of T’s chief operating officer, property services and sustainability, said the university is moving rapidly in response to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s call to halve global emissions by the end of the decade.

“With 2030 just around the corner, we need to act immediately and decisively to tackle climate change,” Saporta said.

“This timeline wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Canada Infrastructure Bank. We are grateful to them for acknowledging U of T’s commitment to helping forge a more sustainable future for Canada.”

He added that Project Leap’s ambitious scope is also driven by a recognition that U of T is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the broader public sector in Ontario, with the St. George campus accounting for more than 80 per cent of the university’s operational carbon footprint. Put simply, he said, it takes a lot of energy to run a research-intensive campus that serves roughly 100,000 students, faculty and staff a day – let alone one with a large collection of heritage buildings in a challenging climate characterized by cold winters and hot, humid summers.

“Upgrading aging infrastructure at the University of Toronto’s St. George campus will ensure future performance and accelerate a low-carbon campus,” said Ehren Cory, CEO of the CIB. “Through the CIB’s Building Retrofits Initiative, our partnership with U of T will enable emission reduction efforts towards becoming climate-positive for students now and into the future.”

A significant portion of the St. George campus’s emissions come from the central steam plant, where gas-fired boilers produce steam that is used to heat most buildings on campus – as well as some off-campus properties including the Royal Ontario Museum. As part of Project Leap, one of the plant’s primary boilers will be converted from gas to electric.

Elsewhere, active heat recovery technologies will be used to reduce energy consumption by 40 per cent in the university’s most energy-intensive buildings – mainly by capturing and re-using heat that is normally lost to the surrounding environment as exhaust. Thirty-five buildings will also have their lighting upgraded to energy-efficient LEDs.

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Several buildings will also be connected with the newly built geoexchange system beneath Front Campus, which is set to begin operations this spring. The system uses underground boreholes to store excess heat generated in the summer (thereby helping to cool spaces) for use in the colder months, utilizing heat pump technology with deep roots at the university.

Taken together, the measures will make it possible to reduce the campus’s greenhouse gas emissions, calculated at 91,000 tonnes last year, by more than 50 per cent by the end of 2027 – the year of U of T’s bicentennial.

“As the university approaches its 200th birthday, we want to make sure our energy systems are ready to meet the demands of the next 200 years, and we’re committed to doing so in an environmentally responsible manner,” Saporta said.

With the CIB’s financing contingent on the participation of a private lender, Project Leap establishes a novel framework for large-scale sustainability projects that could serve as a model for other institutions. The project received grants from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), as well as financing from the Royal Bank of Canada, which was selected from a field of 11 bidders following a public procurement process.

“The University of Toronto is stepping up with their Climate Positive Campus plan, which is aligned with Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan,” said Steven Guilbeault, minister of environment and climate change. “They're leading the pack in global sustainability and making smart decarbonization investments. The Government of Canada will continue to support the University of Toronto in pursuing and achieving their ambitious targets.”

“Through Save on Energy, the IESO offers programs and incentives to help individuals, businesses and institutions to use energy more wisely,” said Tam Wagner, director, demand side management at the IESO. “The Industrial Energy Efficiency Program, which Project Leap was a successful applicant, supports investments in efficient electrification. This, in turn, makes lasting contributions that reduce long-term energy costs.”

The lower-cost financing achieved through the innovative model, Saporta said, amounts to more than $40 million in savings, allowing the university to complete retrofits – much earlier than would have otherwise been possible – of the Dentistry Building, Rehabilitation Sciences Building, Health Sciences Building, Old Administration Building and the Exam Centre.

U of T, which recently placed first in the 2024 QS Sustainability Rankings, is working with the Toronto Region Board of Trade to create a playbook that will help organizations in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario to pursue and fund similar strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

The university previously collaborated with Universities Canada to host an event that presented Project Leap to university presidents from across the country.

Saporta’s team is also organizing workshops with counterparts at the University of California, Berkeley to exchange knowledge and best practices.

“What U of T has done with Project Leap is take lessons learned from other sectors and implement them into the higher education context – a campus that delivers research and education,” Saporta said. “This allows us to, quite literally, take a leap forward in realizing our climate-positive plans.

“It also creates a playbook that we hope others can draw on, so that we can together spur transformative sustainable infrastructure renewal beyond U of T.”

Smart and clean growth conference draws industry, government leaders

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 20:17:46 +0000

Smart and clean growth conference draws industry, government leaders

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 12/04/2023 - 15:17

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(photo by Liz Beddall)

Catrina Kronfli

Topic

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Research & Innovation

Sustainabilty

Subheadline

Event organized by U of T’s Climate Positive Energy and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce brings together researchers and leaders from government and industry

From innovative clean technology to smart building standards, University of Toronto researchers are working with industry and communities to reduce emissions in infrastructure and transportation – and to support a cleaner energy grid.

That was among the takeaways from the inaugural Smart Growth Symposium, which recently drew more than 250 representatives from industry, academia and government to Hart House to showcase smart and clean technology solutions.

The event was co-hosted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and U of T’s Climate Positive Energy (CPE) initiative, an institutional strategic initiative that brings together more than 500 researchers and students across U of T’s three campuses to develop social, scientific, technical, economic and policy solutions that will help policymakers reach net-zero by 2050 and ensure an equitable energy transition.

Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, said Climate Positive Energy is working with the university to create a climate positive campus (photo by Liz Beddall)

“While Climate Positive Energy is working to solve global problems, it maintains a laser focus on local impact,” Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, said in her opening remarks.

“CPE is working closely with other groups across the university to create a climate positive campus by engaging researchers in projects that can be piloted right here at the university, with our campus functioning as a ‘living lab.’”

The Ontario government’s priorities, meanwhile, include balancing housing construction with environmental objectives and increasing green space in the province, said Andrea Khanjin, minister of environment, conservation and parks.

David Sinton, CPE’s academic director, said U of T has deep expertise in all the fields needed to help Canada achieve its climate objectives.

“The critical role of strategic initiatives like CPE is that we bring together those disciplines, and match teams with industry, government, and other partners to achieve those goals,” he said.

The event brought together more than 500 researchers and students across U of T’s three campuses (photo by Liz Beddall)

The symposium included several panels that examined the shifts taking place across various sectors, including:

Building Smart: The building sector is increasingly adopting technologies – from digital twinning to smart energy monitoring to retrofits – to improve overall performance and efficiency. Dima Zreik, director of investments at the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), spoke to the CIB’s Building Retrofits Initiative, which provides financing to decarbonize and improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings in both the public and private sector – including U of T’s Project Leap. Derek Goring, Northcrest Developments’ CEO, stressed that to adopt new technologies in the building sector, there must be shared standards on data governance, referring to his ongoing collaboration with the Centre for the Sustainable Built Environment led by Shoshanna Saxe, an associate professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

Advanced Mobility: Electric vehicles (EVs) are sparking change across the automotive supply chain. Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, noted the auto sector plans to spend nearly $1.2 trillion through 2030 to produce millions of EVs, along with the batteries and raw materials needed to support that production. For Kingston, a key challenge is ensuring EV demand since adoption sits at 13 per cent in Canada amid consumers’ concerns about the availability of charging infrastructure and grid capacity.

Smart Energy Grid: With electricity demand from EVs and a growing population expected to double electricity demand by 2050, concerns about the power grid’s reliability have grown. This is why CPE is spearheading the Grid Modernization, Testing and Simulation Centre with the support of 55 partners, said Shatha Qaqish-Clavering, CPE’s director of strategy and operations. Led by Professor Ali Hooshyar, the Ontario-based, state-of-the-art facility will help small- and medium-sized enterprises commercialize green technologies and develop solutions to ensure Ontario’s grid remains safe and reliable.

Industry partners said the Grid Modernization, Testing and Simulation Centre will accelerate the adoption of new technologies.

“We’re very excited about this centre,” said Frank D’Andrea, Hydro One’s vice-president and executive lead, enterprise strategy and energy transition. “One way to offset affordability issues is to become innovative. We view U of T as a partner and are looking to test technologies, scale them, and bring them to utilities for adoption.”

“Before we implement anything onto the grid, we need to ensure it’s safe and resilient,” said Shitiz Agrawal, vice-president of power systems, sales and operations at Schneider Electric. “What’s unique about this centre is that it’ll provide real-time simulation and engages all ecosystem players.”

The collaborative approach adopted by the Grid Centre initiative is also evident in another effort led by CPE: the CANSTOREnergy project. The project, which recently received a $24-million grant from the federal government’s New Frontiers in Research Fund, involves researchers from 11 Canadian universities, led by Sinton, who are developing clean energy technologies tailored to meet the needs of two Canadian communities – one in Ontario and the other in the Yukon.

Whether the domain is transportation, housing, or energy transmission, all panelists agreed that the time for action is now.

Nolan Andres, chief of technology and innovation for Kindred Credit Union, said the existential threat of climate change is increasingly being met with a collaborative response — one that is "driving us closer together."

U of T’s plan to become climate positive expanded to all three campuses

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:54:25 +0000

U of T’s plan to become climate positive expanded to all three campuses

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 12/04/2023 - 10:54

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(photos by Nick Iwanyshyn, David Lee and Sean Liliani)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Alexandra Gillespie

Climate Positive Campus

Subheadline

The commitment builds on an earlier pledge to have the historic St. George campus reduce more greenhouse gases than it emits

All three of the University of Toronto’s campuses are committing to reduce more greenhouse gases than they emit in the years ahead, an ambitious goal that goes beyond carbon neutrality and targets a climate-positive future.

The commitment expands on an earlier pledge to make the St. George campus climate positive by 2050 – a milestone the university now says it will reach well in advance – and is an extension of U of T’s Low-Carbon Action Plan, which looks to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 37 per cent relative to 1990 levels by 2030.

It comes as the United Nations COP28 climate conference gets underway in Dubai, where the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change & Sustainability (CECCS) and Climate Positive Energy, a U of T institutional strategic initiative, are scheduled to host a variety of events and panel discussions that highlight the role of universities in supporting a clean energy transition.

“U of T is determined to lead by example in addressing climate change – a strategic priority of the university and one of the most pressing issues of our time,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

“The goal of becoming climate positive on all three campuses is bold and befitting of our mission as an educational institution that strives to make the world a better place.”

President Gertler noted the pledge aligns with U of T’s commitments to the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3), which include climate resilience, and the U7+ Alliance of World Universities, whose priorities include championing sustainability and climate action.

“As a large and globally top-ranked public university, U of T has a responsibility to play a leadership role on this issue by taking actions that will be felt across our three campuses and beyond,” he said.

The tri-campus pledge is the latest step by the university to realize its longstanding goal of building a more sustainable future. That includes its 2021 commitment to divest its endowment fund of fossil fuel investments and make the St. George campus – the oldest, largest and most energy-intensive of the three campuses – climate positive before 2050, as outlined in the campus’s carbon and energy master plan and accompanying technical report.

Among the major initiatives on the St. George campus is Canada’s largest urban geoexchange field beneath Front Campus. Part of the Landmark Project, the geoexchange system is set to become fully operational in spring 2024 and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15,000 metric tons annually.

The campus is also modernizing what are some of Canada’s oldest district energy systems via Project LEAP, an effort supported by the Canada Infrastructure Bank. The project comprises a number of retrofit projects – including the replacement of gas boilers with electric alternatives in the St. George campus’s central steam plant – that will help curb greenhouse gas emissions by over 50 per cent by decade’s end.

“The renewal of this infrastructure – much of which is out of sight for the 100,000 people served by the campus each day – offers a chance for us to embed sustainability into the very backbone of campus,” said Ron Saporta, U of T’s chief operating officer, property and sustainability.

Saporta said the expanded, tri-campus scope of the climate commitment “offers opportunities for us to collaborate and share best practices as we work to deliver on key milestones along this journey,” noting U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough will publish details of their roadmaps to becoming climate positive in the coming months.

He pointed out that many of U of T’s tri-campus sustainability efforts double as experiential learning opportunities for students through the Campus as a Living Lab initiative, which are part of CECCS.

At U of T Scarborough, sustainable infrastructure efforts include both existing and upcoming projects.

The campus’s oldest building, the Science and Humanities Wing, has been undergoing deep energy retrofits since 2018 – work that will be accelerated in the coming years. Elsewhere, the campus’s geothermal system, which comprises 350 boreholes, will be expanded to 450 by the end of 2024.

U of T Scarborough is also proceeding with new climate-responsible construction projects such as the recently announced Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH) and the EaRTH (Phase 2) complex, part of the collaborative EaRTH District initiative with Centennial College.

This fall, U of T Scarborough opened a new student residence, Harmony Commons, that meets the rigorous Passive House standard for energy-efficient construction. The building is equipped with eco-friendly features, including mechanical systems that can capture and re-use heat generated by sunlight, cooking and even body heat. In addition to being energy-efficient, the complex is designed to inspire students to carry forth sustainable thinking into their careers and spheres of influence, and drive change in construction and related sectors.

Wisdom Tettey, U of T vice-president and principal at U of T Scarborough, said the climate-positive commitment is a testament to the university’s global leadership.

“We are delighted to be a part of this tri-campus commitment to a climate-positive future,” said Tettey. “Sustainability is a core consideration in every aspect of U of T Scarborough’s mission of facilitating world-class learning, scholarship and innovation that supports flourishing communities in the eastern GTA and beyond – while protecting the health of the world we all inhabit.”

Tettey added that he’s confident the commitment will be met even as the campus experiences significant growth in the years ahead.

“We are very confident that the tremendous talent of our faculty, students and staff will be harnessed, in collaboration with partners, to deliver on our goal through ground-breaking research, transformative learning and operational excellence.”

At U of T Mississauga, a key element of the clean energy transition is moving away from natural gas as the primary energy source for heating, hot water and research processes. To that end, the campus launched Project SHIFT, an initiative to carry out deep energy retrofits in the central utilities plant to hasten the shift from fossil fuels to electricity.

The campus is already home to a cutting-edge geothermal system, situated beside the Instructional Centre, and is working to expand solar energy projects across numerous buildings.

U of T Mississauga also recently completed campus-wide energy audits, following which some 240 energy conservation measures were devised for the short, medium and long term.

Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, said the campus is on track to exceed the targets set by the Low Carbon Action Plan, and is ramping up work towards becoming climate positive.

“Our community is developing efficient LEED-certified buildings, accelerating our transition to renewable energy and realizing our sustainability goals,” said Gillespie, echoing comments she made in U of T Mississauga’s Climate Positive report. “We have strengthened this work through outstanding programs in research and teaching, which continue to extend the power of sustainability learning from our campus into the wider world.”

She added, in the report, that the university has a responsibility to future generations to help forge a more sustainable future.

“I look forward to achieving this goal together and to opening a path to go beyond net zero. It’s the right and good thing to do – for our lifetime and for lives to come.”

U of T sustainability leaders head to Dubai for COP28 climate summit

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:51:02 +0000

U of T sustainability leaders head to Dubai for COP28 climate summit

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 11/30/2023 - 09:51

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The 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Dubai, runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 (photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Global Lens

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Graduate Students