Sustainability Office

Your hub for sustainability on the St. George campus.

Sustainable Action Awards

Are you or someone you know working hard to advance sustainability on and off–campus? You can self-nominate and nominate an individual or a group for a tri-campus Sustainable Action Award!

Nominations for the 2023 Sustainable Action Awards are now closed.

What are the Sustainable Action Awards?

The Sustainable Action Awards recognize individuals and teams who make tangible contributions to sustainability at the University of Toronto. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate these contributions and inspire new sustainable action both on and off-campus.

These awards are part of U of T’s goal of embedding sustainability in all it does and becoming a model of sustainability worldwide.

How are the winners recognized?

Winners in each category will receive a $200 gift card, with the runners up receiving a $100 gift card. Group winners will receive a single gift card.

Winners in the external business or partner category will be recognized with a trophy made from recycled materials.

Who is eligible for an award?

Nominees for the staff, student, and faculty categories must be attending or be employed at any of U of T’s three campuses at the time of nomination. This is a tri-campus award. Full-time staff of the Sustainability Offices are not eligible.

You can self-nominate or nominate others for an award in the following categories:

Individual student (full or part-time)
Individual faculty (full or part-time)
Individual staff (appointed or casual)
Student club (recognized by U of T) or group (two or more individuals)
Employee group (two or more individuals)
External businesses or community partners (must be affiliated with U of T)

Nominees should demonstrate contributions across different dimensions of sustainability, as defined by the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

How are winners selected?

The award winners will be selected by a tri-campus panel.

Winners will be decided based on the measurable and positive contributions made to advancing sustainability both on campus and in the wider community. Nominees are scored on the depth and breadth of these contributions, and on contributions across the social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability.

Ready to nominate?

Nominations for the 2023 Sustainable Action Awards are now closed.

2023-24 Sustainable Action Award Winners

Trinity Residence Dons and Community Advisors

At the end of every school year, students moving out of residences create a massive amount of waste when they leave belongings behind as garbage. In 2023, the Trinity Residence Dons and Community Advisors came together and organized a clothing swap to cut down on this trend. After impressive uptake and participation, the Switch It, Don’t Ditch It event resulted in more than 25 bags of gently used items being donated to Diabetes Canada. The event also fostered a sense of community among the residents, encouraged responsible consumption of goods, and inspired participants to create systemic change. We are delighted to award the Trinity Residence Dons and Community Advisors the runner-up award in the 2023 Sustainable Action Awards in the Employee Group category.

Category: Employee – Group (Runner-up)

Leanne De Souza-Kenney

Due to her major contributions to sustainability across the University of Toronto, Leanne De Souza-Kenney is the winner of the 2023 Sustainable Action Award in the Individual Faculty category. An assistant professor of global public health in human biology and health studies, Dr. De Souza-Kenney works with school boards, underserved populations, and vulnerable communities to advance sustainable initiatives through a wide array of initiatives. Her exemplary work in the field champions the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Most recently, her efforts have involved a school board food insecurity partnership, mapping food access on the St. George campus, and an event called Imagining Sustainable Cities, where grade-school students come together with U of T undergraduate and graduate students—as well as social workers and school board representatives—to workshop ideas for sustainable living, removing access barriers, and creating equitable spaces.

Category: Faculty – Individual (Winner)

Nisrin Elamin

The runner up in the Individual Faculty category, Nisrin Elamin is an assistant professor in anthropology and African studies. Following her evacuation out of Sudan following the war breaking out in April 2023, Dr. Elamin co-organized the Sudan Solidarity Collective with students at U of T, which then went on to launch the Sudan Solidarity Fund. Since then, the fund has raised thousands of dollars for Khartoum emergency response rooms. These groups assist with food- and medicine-distribution efforts, as well as a broad spectrum of work that includes the organization of communal kitchens and rape crisis centres, converting schools into shelters—as well as coordinating evacuations, protection activities, emergency health services, and ensuring education for more than 19 million children who are out of school. We applaud Dr. Elamin for her ongoing research that addresses seven UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as meaningful contributions to alleviating poverty and providing access to education.

Category: Faculty - Individual (Runner-up)

Yazan Zamel

Currently an undergraduate student, Yazan Zamel is president of the Sustainable Engineers Association and organizer of their annual conference. Since 2020, over 150 participants have joined each year. Zamel has joined the Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability as a work-study student and worked with Climate Networks as a sustainability intern. As operational director of the Green Student Association, he trains students from across U of T to be sustainability leaders in their own fields. Yazan is currently working with the Sustainability Office to develop energy data machine learning models and he was recently selected as a Clean Economy Ambassador by Re-generation, a Canadian youth-led nonprofit empowering the next generation of leaders to rethink how the economy can better serve ecological and human well-being. In 2023, Yazan was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25 by The Starfish.

Category: Student - Individual (Winner)

MealCare Toronto

The Sustainable Action Award for the Student Group category in 2023 is presented MealCare Toronto Student Chapter, a non-profit student-run organization that aims to decrease food waste and improve food security by diverting surplus food to local beneficiaries. By rescuing surplus food from campus cafeterias and redistributing it to local shelters, food banks, and even students in need on campus, MealCare has provided over 20,000 meals to those in need. MealCare also conducts research in partnership with undergraduate and graduate courses, hosts fundraising and educational events, and organizes social justice projects—including providing holiday care packages to a local women’s shelter with hygienic necessities, winter accessories, and grocery store gift cards.

Category: Student - Group (Winner)

Sustainable Innovation Group

The Sustainable Innovation Group (SIG) is a student club that provides sustainable consulting services, working to bridge the gap between environmental, social, and governance principles and business world practices. SIG is also dedicated to integrating sustainability into students’ career aspirations and daily lives. In 2023, they partnered with the Ugandan non-profit Nexim International Development Organization, helping to complete grant applications to fund an eco-stove initiative. Currently, SIG is consulting for the U of T Arbor Room, exploring options for sustainable packaging in response to Ontario's newest law banning single-use food containers. Their Sustainable Innovation Forum brings together the U of T Sustainable Offices, GreenSpeaking, student clubs (such as FishMustLive), and professionals in innovation and strategy.

Category: Student - Group (Runner-up)

2022-23 Sustainable Action Award Winners

Madeline Frechette

Over the last four years, Madeleine has made numerous positive contributions to sustainability on-campus. Here is a sampling: sustainability contributions as a research assistant at numerous sustainability-focused labs conducting fieldwork with small food enterprises and food justice organizations producing, documenting, and managing research outcomes on the creation of a socioecological just food system. Current Co-President and former Sustainability Officer for the Environmental Students’ Union. Rewilding Communities program assistant for the David Suzuki Foundation Volunteer for the Ontario Clean Air Alliance Madeleine has chosen to direct her donation to Protect the Tract, a Haudenosaunee-led project that conducts research, policy development and develops capacity for civil engagement, to exercise sovereignty through the promotion of land stewardship over the Haldimand Tract.

Category: Student – Individual

Dig In! Campus Agriculture

Dig In! Campus Agriculture, led by students, promotes small-scale, sustainable, and just food production at the University of Toronto (St. George campus). They meet twice weekly from May - October, tending to 5-6 food gardens on campus. They also promote food sovereignty through events like community meals, speaker events, film screenings and panel discussions. They facilitate spaces for people to reconnect with the land and share knowledge about sustainable food production. In addition, they strive to increase distribution of free, healthy, and fresh produce to the community. Dig In!’s work is clearly needed now more than ever. Dig In! hopes to continue their work by starting a Campus Garden ‘Market’

Category: Student – Group

Dr. Rosalind Murray

Rosalind is a new faculty member in Biology at UTM whose research measures how road salts affect aquatic animals.  The use of salt to de-ice roads and pathways during winter months is estimated to decrease accidents by up to 85%, however, road salts also have numerous documented negative environmental effects de-icing road salt is a persistent contaminant in Canada, and continued salinity pollution has negative implications for human health, drinking water security, infrastructure maintenance, and biodiversity conservation.  To reduce road salt use at UTM while still maintaining high safety standards, Rosalind brought forward a proposal to use brine rather than rock salts on UTM pathways.  With Rosalind’s proposal, Facilities and Management at UTM were able acquire funding to purchase brining equipment this year and secure permission to brine several walkways on campus.

Category: Faculty - Individual

Wei-Ting Shek & Justin Lee

Wei-Ting Shek (UTM Environmental Health & Safety Manager), and Justin Lee (Senior Electrical Engineer) stepped up and volunteered as UTM’s Team Co-lead's for their Sustainable Office program. In the short time they have been Team Leads, they have reviewed the checklist and created an action plan for the FMP office. Some of the initiatives already underway are: removing individual waste bins from desks and office spaces centralizing waste in the kitchen with a 3-1 bin, including organics removing single-use coffee pods and creamers and replacing them with re-useable pods and providing cartons of milk and cream creating an FMP buy-and-sell page on MS Teams for staff to trade everything from books to kids' clothes. Wei and Justin are off to a fantastic start as the FMP Sustainable Change Office Team Leads and have shown tremendous commitment and excitement to make the office sustainable.

Category: Employee Group

Beatrice Lego

Over the last few years, Béatrice has overseen the large expansion of the UTSC Campus Farm as the tireless coordinator. Her achievements include: When she started in 2018, the farm consisted of only six raised beds, and now it is 47 and includes fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, an Indigenous and medicine wheel garden with native plants. She engages students in gardening and vermicompost projects, teaching them how to grow organic food and the importance of biodiversity on campus. She organizes weekly open house "Garden to Lunchbox" events on the IC Rooftop Garden and weekly drop-in sessions at the farm, and facilitates experiential learning opportunities integrated with curriculum.  There's important research happening at the farm, for example on biological control of invasive phragmites, on wild bees in urban environments, and on crop adaptation for organic agriculture.

Category: Employee - Individual

Purolator

Purolator, in partnership with University of Toronto, has established a successful e-cargo tricycle demonstration project. They replaced delivery trucks on campus and neighbouring communities with electric cargo bikes. A long list of graduate and undergraduate students have been involved in research associated with this project. As result of this change, truck traffic has been reduced by approximately 5800 km per year which translates into approximately 2.3 tonnes of CO2 emissions/year. They plan to expand the pilot to locations across Canada. Two items required approval from Toronto City council (approval of electric cargo bikes over 120kg, and approval of a minihub on City of Toronto parking spots), which required a major advocacy effort.

Category: External Community Partner

Zoe Faiz

For her outstanding contributions including work with the Rochman Lab, Fighting Floatables, EcoSpark, Ocean Uprise, and Bikechain.

Category: Individual student runner-up

Pollinate Crate U of T

For their work to increase pollinator habitat in Toronto by providing pollinator gardens and educational resources to Toronto District School Board sites.

Category: Student group runner-up

Vijay Kumar Chattu

For his extensive research and teaching across multiple dimensions of sustainability including climate governance, global health governance, and health diplomacy.

Category: Individual Faculty runner-up

FAST Team and Svetlana Opachevsky

For their work implementing the Air Travel Emissions Mitigation Initiative to offset the impact of greenhouse gas emissions related to university-funded air travel

Category: Employee group runner-up

Mark Neilson

For his work at UTSC, including Edible Campus initiative, forest succession plan, oak savannah, and outreach to campus members.

Category: Individual staff runner-up

2021-22 Sustainable Action Award Winners

Xi Shao

Xi Shao is studying toward her Master of Science in Sustainability Management and has dedicated her time at the University of Toronto towards the capacity building and implementation of the three pillars of sustainability. In 2021, she interned at the United Nations Environment Programme for five months and reported to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Recently, Xi joined the Stockolm+50 Youth Taskforce, where she works as a youth consultant with youth representatives from all over the world to deliver a policy paper on protecting the environment and nature. Xi also co-founded The Energy Network at the University of Toronto to help bridge the knowledge gap between sustainable energy professionals and UofT students.

Category: Student – Individual

Alice Martignoni & Nattapol Ruangsri

Alice and Nattapol are PhD candidates in Italian Studies. They are both passionate advocates of sustainability on a personal level and in the broader UofT community. On an everyday level, their mobility mostly relies on biking and public transportation; they also commit to reducing waste and consumption by prioritizing unpackaged food and bringing their own containers to stores and restaurants. As for their on-campus engagement, they do their best to promote an environmentally mindful attitude among their colleagues. Alice and Nattapol have been supporting each other on everyday sustainability for a while now, so it came naturally to pair up. This also means joining forces and planning some community outreach events for the members of their Department on how to incorporate sustainability into everyday lives and build durable habits.

Category: Student – Group

Hans Ibelings

As an architectural historian, critic, writer, and professor, Hans Ibelings has made an outstanding difference within the comprehensive pedagogy of sustainability. For the 2020-2021 academic year, he won the Adams Sustainability Faculty Grant to transform his history courses for first-year students at the Daniels Faculty into a global warming history of modern architecture. Throughout the course he incorporated a dozen key projects of architects which did not focus on the familiar cultural values of these projects but examined how they impact and respond to the environment, ecology, and climate. He is also currently writing a book entitled ‘Planetary Warming History of Modern Architecture’, in which he aims to “planetize” architectural history.

Category: Faculty - Individual

U of T Trash Team

The U of T Trash Team was founded in 2017 in collaboration with the Rochman Lab within the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Their core mission is to increase waste literacy in our community while reducing plastic pollution in our ecosystems. What started as a small team of less than 20 has quickly grown, with 86 volunteers joining in 2021. Through community outreach, the team leads and engages in a variety of community events, including public talks, cleanups and tabling events. Their most popular event, the annual Urban Litter Challenge, highlights our urban connection to watersheds and has removed >50,000 pieces of litter from our environment, diverting it away from Lake Ontario. Informed by science, the U of T Trash Team uses waste literacy to empower themselves and others to reduce pollution, and ultimately inform a more sustainable Toronto and beyond.

Category: Employee Group

Bill Cole

A pilot project by Chief Horticulturalist Bill Cole to replace sodium lamps with LED panels in the greenhouses at U of T’s Earth Sciences Centre has produced excellent results to reduce energy consumption in one of these greenhouses as part of Climate Action. Over the last few years, these changes have reduced electricity demand by 31 kW and saved approximately 186,000 kWh/year electricity consumption since December 2019. Bill and his co-worker Tom Gludovacz have recommended proceeding with full replacement in the remaining fourteen greenhouses zones at the top of the Earth Sciences Centre.

Category: Employee - Individual

Regenesis Canada

Regenesis Canada has contributed enormously towards sustainability at the University of Toronto. Through chapters at St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough campuses, Regenesis has supported numerous University of Toronto students realize their environmental visions for sustainability events and initiatives. Examples of this include supporting the creation of Reuse Centres at all three campuses, hosting tree plantings and a pollinator garden (UofT Scarborough), and supporting Dig In! Campus Agriculture (UofT St. George) with fundraising, volunteer recruitment, event support, and communications. Regenesis Canada has a long-standing commitment to advancing sustainability at the University of Toronto and supporting the education and growth of the next generation of sustainability leaders.

Category: External Community Partner