Earth Day: See how U of T’s campuses are building sustainability into their operations

At the cutting-edge New Science Building on the banks of the Credit River in Mississauga, a geothermal system will cover 90 per cent of the building’s energy requirements. In Scarborough, the Environmental and Related Technologies Hub (EaRTH), a green tech research and innovation district will feature Ontario’s first net-zero vertical farm. And in downtown Toronto, the St. George campus will be home to Canada’s largest urban geoexchange system.

These are some of the University of Toronto's flagship construction projects, highlighted in a new Earth Day video series, that are poised to make significant contributions to U of T’s Low-Carbon Action Plan – which strives to cut greenhouse gas emissions across the three campuses by 37 per cent from 1990 levels by the year 2030.

It's all part of the University's ambitious efforts to integrate sustainability into every facet of the institution – operations, teaching and learning, research, engagement and partnerships – as outlined in the latest annual report by the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability (CECCS).

At U of T Mississauga, sustainability is being embedded into every facet of campus life as outlined in its Sustainability Strategic Plan, featuring 102 targets and more than two dozen goals. The New Science Building currently under construction is one of numerous infrastructure projects that place sustainability at the forefront.

U of T Scarborough, meanwhile, has several green building projects on the go, including its net-zero vertical farm, which will produce as much energy as it produces on an annual basis, and a Parking and Retail Commons, a unique concept that uses timber to construct a multi-level parking structure with retail at street level – an Ontario first.

At the St. George campus, efforts are underway to work towards achieving climate positivity before 2050 via a variety of efforts outlined in the Sustainability Office’s most recent annual report.

These include ambitious construction initiatives such as the Landmark Project, which aims to revitalize the historic core of the St. George campus and includes the geoexchange field being built underneath Front Campus. The Sustainability Office is also launching a Sustainable Change Program later this spring that will offer resources and supports around sustainability best practices.