Sustainability at Concordia
January 2025 Newsletter
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Happy New Year and welcome back! Sustainability offerings and initiatives abound every year, and 2025 will be no different. We look forward to seeing you all around campus. |
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Concordia launches a new undergraduate microprogram in sustainabilityConcordia is launching a new undergraduate microprogram, furthering its commitment to sustainability and allowing students from all backgrounds to take an interdisciplinary approach to the topic. The new Microprogram in Sustainability Principles, beginning in September 2025, is led by the Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability (LCDS). The microprogram rounds out the existing minor and elective group department offerings. Together they provide a range of ways to equip students with the critical thinking skills necessary to address contemporary challenges around sustainability issues. Designed to welcome those with non-traditional career or academic paths, the program is open to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents, regardless of whether they have previously earned a degree or diploma. The microprogram was developed in alignment with Concordia’s Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) — specifically, the university’s commitment to enhancing sustainability in the curriculum by achieving a 20 per cent threshold of sustainability-inclusive courses. |
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| A modular plinth by Arrien Weeks being assembled for the exhibition | Photo: María Escalona |
Concordia’s FOFA Gallery advances sustainable art curation with the Modular Plinth projectConcordia’s FOFA Gallery is exploring new frontiers in sustainable art curation. After releasing a toolkit for more sustainable signage, its team is now rethinking the use of gallery plinths, the heavy bases or boxes that play a key role in displaying artwork in the FOFA Gallery and in exhibitions everywhere. The Modular Plinth project is an initiative developed in collaboration with Arrien Weeks, BFA 06, MA 22. The aim is to create a more efficient, eco-friendly approach to the traditional gallery plinth. The Modular Plinth project is part of the gallery’s broader sustainability initiative, Exploring Sustainability Across the Arts, supported by a Cultivate grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. With Weeks’s expertise, co-curators of sustainability Josh Jensen and Joé Côté-Rancourt hope to reduce resource usage and minimize waste in the gallery’s operations. They also aim to inspire other galleries by providing design and assembly files in an open-source format for wider use. |
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| The National Autonomous University of Mexico | Photo: Laurana Zimiec |
Concordia’s Queen Elizabeth Scholars will tackle climate challenges through global partnershipsConcordia University’s Sustainable Polygeneration for Communities Initiative has secured funding through the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Scholars (QES) program. Designed to empower the next generation of global leaders, the initiative focuses on renewable energy and resilience-building in the face of climate change. “This program highlights the best of what Concordia strives for — collaborative, impactful solutions to global challenges,” says Ursula Eicker, founding director of the Next-Generation Cities Institute (NGCI). “Our students and researchers will work with international partners to co-develop innovations that empower communities and foster resilience.” |
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manifesting gardens / manifester des jardins : 2025 Undergraduate Student Exhibition From January 13 to February 21, FOFA Gallery, Room EV-1.715, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W. This exhibition highlights the FOFA Gallery’s ongoing efforts in sustainability. The wall signage was made from recuperated posters collected on campus walls, treated with natural dyes and glued using nori paste. Many of the featured artworks evoke subjects tied to sustainability and current ecosystems. Using the metaphor of the garden, the exhibition calls to sustain and cultivate the student community, to tend to its diverse voices. The gallery collaborated with Sustainability Consultant, Arrien Weeks, to design a special modular plinth which will debut during this exhibition. Join us for the exhibition’s closing reception on February 20th, from 5 – 7pm. Montréal 2050: A Climate Haven Tuesday, January 14 @ 12:30 – 3:30 p.m., 4th SPACE 1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W. Join Public Scholar Alex Pace and a panel of experts for an engaging event about climate change in Montréal. The afternoon will begin with a short interactive presentation exploring the controversial subject of climate havens, followed by a panel discussion about the future of Montréal with Next-Generation Cities Institute director Dr. Ursula Eicker, Climate Science and Sustainability Research Chair Dr. Damon Matthews and the director of the Bureau de la transition écologique et de la résilience for the city of Montréal Sidney Ribaux. From 3pm - 3:30pm, join Alex Pace for a podcast interview about Concordia's Plan/Net Zero with Oriol Galvada! A Dewemaagannag/My Relations workshop with the McCord Stewart Museum Thursday, January 16 @ 12 – 2 p.m., SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation 1400 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W. The McCord Stewart Museum’s exhibition “Wampum, Beads of Diplomacy” explores the fundamental role of wampums as witnesses of agreements between nations, and bearers of cultural and political meaning. Rather than approaching the exhibition solely through archival research, the museum collaborated closely with Indigenous experts and communities connected to the wampums. This approach ensured the belts and necklaces’ stories were represented authentically and that Indigenous perspectives were centered, not exploited. The workshop content and facilitation will be in French. Participants can choose to express themselves in French or English. A lunch will be served at the event. Saturday, January 18 @ 2 - 3:30 p.m., 7350 Bd de Sainte-Anne de Bellevue Discover the story of a group of crows who led legendary environmental activist Lisa Mintz to the Falaise St. Jacques, sparking a decade-long fight to protect the "Green Lungs of NDG" and promote a Grand Parc for the historically nature-deprived Côte-des-Neiges and Sud-Ouest boroughs. Enjoy some time outdoors with other urban wildlife lovers, learn about crows and meet new people! |
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Dining: Looking for some affordable food options on campus? Did you know that The Hive has a Free Breakfast AND Free Lunch programs? The Hive Free Lunch provides a free vegan and nut-free breakfast and lunch Monday to Friday during the fall/winter terms. Breakfast is served at 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. and again at 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. Lunch is served 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. |
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Let's stay in touch!
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Office of Sustainability |