Welcome to Sustainable Seneca

The sustainable Seneca is one of three pillars of Au Large along with the equitable Seneca and the more virtual Seneca.

With the release of our first Sustainability Plan, we are focusing our efforts on four priority themes: equity, education and research and operations. To review our progress towards our sustainability goals, take a look at our annual report.

It isn’t starting from scratch (check out our Awards and Recognition). Our plan builds on our actions on sustainability and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Seneca’s commitment to sustainability is seen in academic programs, services, applied research and physical spaces. This has been recognized by a gold STARS rating from the Association of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Sustainability is a complex objective that goes well beyond the environment to include social equity, cultural vitality and economic responsibility. Everyone at Seneca has a role to play and, together, we are up to the challenge to build the sustainable Seneca. Seneca's Sustainability Policy is one way Seneca demonstrates a commitment to social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Sustainable Seneca
Sustainable Development Goals

Actions for 2021-2026

To integrate sustainability into everything we do, we have identified the following four priority themes to provide direction and establish a foundation for a co-ordinated, strategic and collaborative approach to sustainability:

Sustainable Seneca in Numbers

11%

of CITE's energy was generated by solar panels in 2022

132 lbs

of produce was produced by the Seneca Farm since it opened in September 2023

4 million

bees buzzing in 60 hives on three campuses


81

electric sedans equate to the weight of the waste that Seneca diverts from landfills annually


36

electric vehicle charging ports installed at King and Newnham campuses


1,081

sustainability-related courses offered, based on the last STARS audit

                     

Spotlight

Advancing Sustainability Education: Seneca’s 2024 SDGs Training

The 2024 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Training, held virtually from February 12 to March 8, marked another successful chapter in promoting sustainability education. Organized by Seneca’s Office of Sustainability in partnership with the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship, this initiative has been seamlessly integrated into existing courses since 2018. This year, it engaged over 400 students across eight courses, further solidifying its impact.

Stories of sustainability