What can you do?
Getting involved in York’s sustainability initiatives is a great decision—for yourself, your community, and our future. The United Nations has established 17 Sustainability Development Goals and challenged the world to meet them. York University is already recognized as an international leader in SDG-relevant research, teaching, partnerships, and campus practices.
York is rising to the challenge
answering the call
WWF Living Planet Leader Certification
World Wildlife Fund Canada's Living Planet @ Campus program inspires students to practice sustainability and protect nature on campus and beyond.
How to Become a Living Planet Leader
The Living Planet Leader Certification
A self-guided designation program that recognizes student contributions to a more sustainable campus and community. Students must complete actions in four categories to quality for a Living Planet Leader designation, part of WWF Canada's Living Planet program, including:
- Local on campus activities, community or global volunteerism
- Personal application of sustainability
- Application of sustainability in academics
- Teamwork and Leadership
Get Started
- Register as a Living Planet Leader with Living Planet @ Campus
- Track your progress and record your efforts on your Living Planet Leader profile
- Submit your completed application within 3 months after your final academic term
The program is an opportunity for students to gain valuable leadership skills and boost their professional resume or LinkedIn profile. Students will be listed on WWF's Living Planet Leader website upon certification.
Whether you're a student, staff or faculty member, here's how you can make a difference!
Certifications & Training
Apply for the Sustainability Innovation Fund
Supporting initiatives that advance York’s Sustainability Strategy and build a culture of sustainability while tackling real-world challenges through innovative solutions.
Make a Sustainability Pledge
Even small changes make a big difference. Join hundreds of your friends and colleagues in their pledge for change.
Take the Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living
Become a Sustainable Living Ambassador with York University’s Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living and earn a first-of-its-kind Digital Badge in Sustainable Living to share on social media.
Event Sustainability Certification
Sustainable events mean taking into consideration the balance of protection for the environment, economic factors, and social responsibility, so that together we create and safeguard an improved quality of life for ourselves and future generations.
There are 4 levels of event certification:
- Bronze: 65% of actions
- Silver: 75% of actions
- Gold: 85% of actions
- Platinum: 95% of actions
Office Sustainability Certification
If you're driving positive change alongside your office mates, you deserve recognition!
The Sustainable Office Certification program is designed to engage faculty, staff and students (with office space) in incorporating a wide variety of sustainable practices into the day to day operations of work spaces across the University. The program focuses on 5 key areas - Waste, Energy, Transportation, Purchasing, and Change.
We invite office members at York University to go through a questionnaire created by the Office of Sustainability, designed to assess the scale of sustainability at your office! Certified offices will receive recognition, and the certification is good for one year from the date of submission.
Sustainability Training Modules
This training module for YU staff focuses on knowledge and awareness about sustainability, the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), York University's Sustainability Strategy and our Net Zero goal, as well as the University Academic Plan and the University-wide challenge to advance the SDGs.
Engage with Communities
Explore a complete list of York's sustainability-focused clubs
York has a variety of sustainability-focused clubs, where students actively contribute to environmental and social causes and make a tangible difference at York and beyond.
Learn more about clubs here.
Sustainability Champions Network
If you're passionate about the environment and looking to be part of a network of community members supporting York's leadership in sustainability, join us.