York university: Sustainability leadership and challenges at a large post-secondary institution

Abstract

This chapter profiles sustainability advances at a large Canadian university. York University has a rich history of sustainability curriculum, research, and institutional programs and practices. However, it is only recently that these have been coordinated as a pan-university approach through the President’s Sustainability Council. This chapter reflects upon the first 3 years of the Council’s work by reviewing key features of its consensus-based model of sustainability planning. The chapter also identifies several key challenges that the Council has experienced, including engaging the university community in sustainability matters, integrating social justice and human rights into a comprehensive sustainability strategy, establishing a forum for student-specific sustainability concerns, and integrating the particular needs and preferences of York’s Glendon campus.