The Fourth Industrial Revolution, and the societal shifts it triggers, means we have to reimagine how we manage our shared global environment and natural resources. George Brown College recognizes that colleges have a major role in the education, research and information exchange necessary support society's transition to an equitable and sustainable future.
The College's Sustainability Plan 2022 is built around three overarching and aligned goals: Eco-Footprint Reduction, Sustainability Education and Engagement informed by the following guidelines:
Institutional Culture of Sustainability
- Initiate, promote and conduct programs that promote sustainability in co-operation with academic and administrative departments and engage and educate the College community in conservation and demand management practices aimed at reducing the College's overall ecological footprint.
Demonstrate Environmental Stewardship
- Work to reduce the College's ecological footprint by establishing institutional policies and promoting practices for resource conservation, recycling, waste reduction and environmentally sound operations.
Sustainability Management System
- Implement the College's Sustainability Plan 2022, including an ongoing process of sustainability measurement, implementation and evaluation, understanding that this is dynamic document which will change over time in response to changing needs.
Green the Curriculum
- Develop "green" curriculum to produce expertise in fields related to sustainable development and support faculty in developing curricula to prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle the challenges of a sustainable society.
Inter-Professional Approaches
- Encourage inter-professional approaches to applied research, education, policy formation and information exchange on sustainability issues, including development of opportunities for transforming the College's campuses into learning laboratories for demonstration of sustainable technologies.
