Our mandate
The SFUO recognizes the ecological crisis that humanity faces. Based on the recognition that universities and university students have a responsibility as leaders to find and implement solutions, the Sustainable Development Centre was created. The Centre aims to minimize the ecological footprint of the SFUO and to change the mindset of students on campus to ensure that our use of resources today does not restrict their use by future generations and currently marginalized groups.
We use an intersectional approach, recognizing that environmental and social injustices are intrinsically linked. Attempts to achieve sustainability and environmental justice occur on a variety of levels, including reforms to operations, events and activities as well as awareness-raising, skills building and action campaigns. The Sustainable Development Centre is committed to encouraging responsible behaviour on-campus and off-campus, including community building and lobbying for environmental-social justice at all levels of government.
The Sustainable Development Centre exists to foster a community working towards sustainability and environmental justice at the University of Ottawa. We strive to provide a space where many voices of the community, particularly marginalized voices, can be heard. We do not only run our own projects, but also act as a resource and support centre for environmental and social justice groups on campus and students wishing to take action on their own.
Long-term goals
- To minimize ecologically and socially negative footprint of SFUO through reforms of its operations, events and activities
- To change mindsets around daily activities on this campus; putting the environment and connected social issues at the forefront of people’s minds and getting people to see the connections between various environmental and social issues
- To create and maintain an active, diverse, and motivated community dedicated to working towards environmental justice and sustainability. This community will include students, professors, services, clubs, federated bodies, the administration, university workers etc.
- To provide avenues for people to build their skills in order to challenge systems of oppression and environmental destruction by becoming part of this community, i.e. trainings, ways to get involved, resources to learn about issues, discussions with people
- Ensuring people have access to sustainable, healthy, affordable and ethical food options on campus; and ensuring these options are accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford to eat organic or local
- Work to challenge colonialism, racism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, classism and other systems of oppression that work to harm the environment and the people who live in it— we do this by analyzing our projects, campaigns and other actions from an intersectional approach and being open to and actively approaching different allies
Our successes
These are just examples of what we’ve been able to accomplish since we opened our doors. Stay tuned for more successes to come!
2013-14:
- Deal brokered to donate unsold cafeteria food
- 101 week reduced waste by 50%
2012-13:
- The Alternative Student Break (ASB) moved to a new permanent location in the terminus
- PowerShift conference held at uOttawa
2011-12:
- Raj Patel spoke on campus about hunger issues
2010-11:
- Centre founded.
- The SFUO adopted the Sustainable and Ethical Operating Policy.
- University of Ottawa went bottled water free.
