For the second consecutive year, World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) has recognized York with its Living Campus certification, highlighting the University's ongoing commitment to environmental leadership and sustainability.
The Living Campus designation celebrates post-secondary institutions for their leadership in conservation and environmental stewardship, while encouraging community involvement through education and action.
Nicole Arsenault
"Being designated a WWF Living Campus is a testament to York University's deep commitment to conservation, community engagement and creating lasting environmental impact. Our partnership with WWF-Canada empowers students to become sustainability leaders and inspires collective action for a healthier planet," says Nicole Arsenault, program director in the Office of Sustainability.
York's renewed certification reflects its sustained efforts to enhance sustainability across its campuses since first receiving the recognition last year.
Among those efforts is the ongoing development of campus-wide renaturalization and ecological regeneration plans that emphasize Indigenous plant species and align with the University's Secondary Plan policies and the Keele Campus Master Plan's Greening York recommendations. These projects support local habitats and biodiversity while creating accessible and educational green spaces.
Facilities Services has played a central role, implementing pollinator habitats and strategies to promote ecosystem diversity, revitalizing the historic fruit orchard at Stong House and planting more than 578 native plants and 238 native trees across the Keele and Glendon campuses.
Stewart Danker
"Our grounds team is proud to be committed to ensuring York's campuses contribute meaningfully to addressing today's environmental challenges," says Stewart Dankner, director of property management with Facilities Services. "Through our stewardship, we're creating sustainable, welcoming spaces that support both the community and the broader environment."
Facilities has also collaborated with groups like the Maloca Gardens team, Regenesis, the Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, and the Biodiversity Working Group - led by Danker, as well as Phyllis Novak-Nowakowski, director of Maloca Community and Native Plant Gardens, and Art McDonald, associate director, recreation and active living - to advance visible, accessible biodiversity initiatives focused on student well-being, community engagement and food sustainability.
These efforts, and the renewed Living Campus designation, also support York University's new sustainability strategy, Positive Change: Connecting People, Planet and Purpose - launched in 2024 - which builds on the University's record as an international leader in sustainability research, teaching, partnerships and campus practices. The strategy sets out emission reduction and sustainability targets through 2030 and lays the groundwork for achieving net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040.
York's sustainability leadership is also reflected in its infrastructure. The new Markham Campus was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification from the Canadian Green Building Council, recognizing high-performance standards in sustainable construction and environmental responsibility. York further distinguished itself as the first university in Ontario to introduce electric buses to shuttle community members between campuses.
Recognition has followed. The University received gold accreditation from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, acknowledging progress in embedding sustainability into operations and academic programs. It has also been named among Canada's Greenest Employers for 13 consecutive years and repeatedly recognized as a Best University for Commuters.
Partnerships have continued to deepen York's impact. Earlier this year, the University formalized its long-standing relationship with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority through a Memorandum of Understanding that supports research in ecology and biodiversity, water resources and climate change. The agreement also creates new opportunities for student engagement, career development, community outreach and sustainability programming.
York has tracked its progress in its most recent Sustainable Development Goals Report which highlights an 82 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from investments and the protection of more than 785 acres of greenspace.
The latest WWF-Canada certification arrives ahead of York's annual Campus Sustainability Month in October, which will again feature initiatives such as tree plantings at Keele and Glendon, a month-long BioBlitz to track biodiversity and the activities with Maloca Living Labs.
Students can build on this momentum by taking part in WWF-Canada's Living Planet Leader certification program, which helps them develop sustainability knowledge and skills to make an impact both at York and in their communities.
For more information or to register, visit the Office of Sustainability website.
This story was originally featured in YFile, York University's community newsletter.
