Humber Polytechnic is reinforcing its commitment to creating a campus that leads in environmental stewardship and empowers students with the skills and knowledge to shape a greener world with the launch of the new Sustainability Vision.
Called "Shaping a Better Tomorrow," the new vision deepens Humber's goals for a sustainable future. It was shaped by input and feedback from more than 750 members of the Humber community who participated in 18 consultation activities including an online survey. It was further informed by Humber's networks within the post-secondary sector and research conducted in early 2024.
The Sustainability Vision encompasses three pillars:
- Educate: Foster sustainable mindsets across programs.
- Enable: Create a sustainable campus experience through innovative learning spaces and operations.
- Engage: Provide hands-on opportunities for students and staff to translate their knowledge into climate action.
"As we launch our Sustainability Vision today, let's do so with a shared understanding that this is also a call to action," said Ann Marie Vaughan, Humber's president and CEO. "It is an invitation for each of us to play our part in shaping a better tomorrow - one that is more just, more responsible, and more sustainable. And when we look back at this moment years from now, we will not just see a Humber transformed we will see a movement that started here and rippled far beyond our campuses. So, let's continue the great work. Let's re-commit, let's innovate and let's lead. Because, together, we are building a legacy one that will inspire generations to come."
After years and years of the Office of Sustainability putting in the work to advance sustainability on campus and being recognized as a leader in this area, the new Sustainability Vision puts students at the centre.
"With decades of experience implementing sustainable practices and living our sustainability commitments, this vision is focused on empowering our learners to shape a better tomorrow," said Lindsay Walker, director, Sustainability. "And we do this through educating, enabling and engaging them, and each other."
Walker said that Humber has tremendous experience implementing sustainable practices and lives its sustainability commitments. With the Sustainability Vision, it has crafted a climate action blueprint to empower learners to create a better tomorrow. As well, students choosing to learn at Humber, which is a leading sustainable institution, are uniquely positioned to address the climate crisis and create impact in their local and global communities.
Walker added that sustainability is inseparable from Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Reconciliation. The Sustainability Vision takes into account multiple perspectives and worldviews to build a more inclusive tomorrow where everyone benefits from a healthier planet.
Humber's efforts on environmental stewardship are strong and ongoing. Just last year, Humber announced it had established an aggressive timeline to reach net zero more than two decades earlier than its original goal of 2050. There are four main decarbonization projects to be undertaken at Humber that will be prioritized to reach the 2029 goal as Humber moves away from natural gas to electrified heating through technologies such as electric boilers and heat pumps that extract energy from the air, ground or waste heat sources.
As part of Building Brilliance: Our Vision to 2030 and Beyond, we are shedding the traditional constraints of higher education and reimagining a model that both adapts to and shapes the world around us. At Humber, we don't just want to have an impact - we want to drive it. By staying true to the values of courage, innovation, equity, sustainability, and health and well-being, values that have always guided us, Humber will continue to lead post-secondary education into 2030 and beyond. By making bold decisions around how we fundamentally operate, we can reimagine learning, forge deeper partnerships and drive impact, creating real value and progress. This story is an example of how we are building brilliance by driving impact every day.
