2025 in review: A major year for sustainability on campus
U of T celebrates eight sustainability milestones on the St. George campus, from infrastructure upgrades to rescuing materials from landfill.
Under Project Leap, the University of Toronto is taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 50 per cent by the end of 2027. The ultimate goal: make the St. George campus climate positive by 2050.
Here are eight ways the St. George campus cut down fossil fuel use, minimized waste and promoted sustainable practices on campus in 2025:
1. Shifting to electric power at the Central Steam Plant
The Central Steam Plant is responsible for heating almost 100 buildings on the St. George campus. In 2025, U of T decommissioned one natural gas boiler at the Central Steam Plant, installing two new electric boilers in its place. Using electricity as the primary heat source will help cut fossil fuel use on campus by 75 per cent.
2. Connecting key buildings to geoexchange system
U of T is home to Canada’s largest urban geoexchange system, a giant thermal battery beneath Front Campus that stores excess heat from the summer to be reused to heat buildings in the winter.
This summer, crews connected the geoexchange to three buildings on King’s College Circle: the Medical Sciences Building, Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy Building and Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research.
In addition, 2025 marks the Sustainability Office’s first full year of running public tours of the geoexchange. Over 60 tours have been conducted, with a total attendance of more than 1,000 people.
Register to join a geoexchange tour, held on the third Thursday of every month at 11AM.
3. Facilities & Services vehicle fleet goes 25% electric
Facilities & Services purchased four more electric vehicles to replace gas-powered vehicles that were near or at the end of their life. With this switch, the F&S vehicle fleet is now 25 per cent electric.
4. 600 new solar panels are on their way
With over 2,000 solar panels in service at the St. George campus, U of T continues to work towards creating sustainable power sources. The university is in the process of installing 600 new solar panels on the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and Koffler Student Services Centre.
5. The Free Store hits one-year mark
This October, the St. George campus Free Store celebrated its first full year in service. Staff, students and faculty can take home a range of gently used items — including clothes, books and houseware — all of which have been donated by the campus community.
From October 2024 to September 2025, the Free Store successfully diverted 5,798 kg of materials from landfill by giving them a second life.
F&S also partnered with New College to pilot a move-out project, collecting items left in dormitories at the end of the school year. Over 600 lbs of materials were directed to the Free Store, where they could find a new home.
6. Enhancing biodiversity and bird safety on campus
The Sustainability Office has implemented a new series of bird-safe treatments on campus.
After installing bird-safe film on the west side of the Edward Johnson Building in 2024, U of T expanded the project by retrofitting the first row of windows on the east side this year. In addition, bird-safe appliques were installed on the three entrance points of the Landmark Garage at King’s College Circle. Designed by architect Ryan Gorrie, a collaborator of the Landmark Project, the foliage appliques pay homage to Indigenous people’s connection to the land. Each applique features a different leaf: pine, maple and birch.
7. A Better Buildings Bootcamp to remember
Working with Sustainable Buildings Canada, U of T hosted the Better Buildings Bootcamp in the Ramsay Wright Building.
The free summer program brought together over 50 students and young professionals with industry experts. Teams brainstormed ideas for sustainable upgrades for the Ramsay Wright Building, pitching recommendations to the building project team at the end of the one-week bootcamp.
8. Towards a zero-waste campus, one event at a time
The Sustainability Office supports events across campus to ensure proper waste sorting and diversion. This year, 99 events were certified as sustainable through the Sustainable Change Program. The Sustainability Office was also responsible for designing and installing waste signage at large-scale university events, including the UTSU Clubs Fair (25,000+ attendees) and the World Series screening on Front Campus (2,000+ attendees).
At the annual Operations & Real Estate Partnerships (OREP) staff barbecue, the Sustainability Office worked with Toronto-based company Muuse to provide reusable plates, cutlery and cups, eliminating the use of single-use items for over 500 attendees.
Scott Hendershot, senior manager, Sustainability Office, projects that the number of sustainable events will continue to grow. “We want people to know that the resources are there. If you want to make your event zero waste, zero carbon, you can do it. The Sustainability Office is here to help.”
Looking ahead
For the fourth year in a row, U of T has been named one of the top two universities in the world for sustainability by QS World University Rankings: Sustainability. Yet the university’s sustainability efforts are just beginning.
“We’re building a culture of sustainability at U of T,” says Kaitlyn Myles, project manager, Sustainability Office. “We want students, faculty and staff to come to this university knowing that we prioritize a sustainable future for them.”
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