Community

Each of us has the power to create a more sustainable future, and when we work together, that power is amplified. By engaging our campus community through sustainability initiatives, we aim to understand where we are and inspire the work that will take us where we need to go.

Sustainability Culture Assessment

Langara’s Sustainability Culture Assessment survey helps us better understand how we as a community think about and behave towards our environment and identify what steps we can take to further our sustainability goals. The first survey was conducted in 2021 with the intention to repeat it every two years, tracking changes over time.  

  • About half of respondents feel that they are at least somewhat knowledgeable about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.  

  • 69% of faculty respondents have discussed environmental issues in the classroom.  

  • The majority of faculty respondents are willing to take greater steps in promoting sustainable behaviours and education on campus (an increase from 2021).  

  • When looking at initiatives already in progress at Langara, EV charging has garnered the most awareness while sustainable investing and commitment to local food has garnered the least awareness.  

  • 90% of respondents felt that it was important for students to gain knowledge of the tools and perspectives needed for sustainable living as part of their education (same percentage from 2021).  

  • 86% of respondents want sustainability to be a top priority for leadership at Langara (90% in 2021).  

  • 73% of respondents think that climate change impacts will be significant and are worried about how these impacts may affect their lives (same percentage from 2021).  

  • The areas of focus that received the highest levels of support were related to increasing building energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions, and increasing support for local food producers and achieving Fair Trade Campus designation 

See the full 2023 report >> 
 

Sustainability Student Ambassadors

Our Sustainability Student Ambassadors program is currently on hiatus. Find highlights from our past projects below.

  • Coordinated a worm box (vermiculture) workshop led by ReFeed Canada hosts Robby Gass and Aislinn Kiel. 
  • In honour of National Seed Swap Day on Jan 29, hosted a seed exchange on campus, redistributing vegetable, fruit and flower seeds to the community. 
  • Hosted a plastic-free event to build awareness of the damaging effects of single use plastics and encourage use of reusable cups. 
  • Gardenability Project: Built wheelchair-accessible raised beds with pollinators and food crops (funded through the support of the WWF Go Wild School Grant).  
  • Planted two new pollinator gardens on the south side of the LSU and on the north side of B Building, with plants that attract and feed bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies to encourage pollination and biodiversity. This project is gratefully funded in part through the World Wildlife Fund Go Wild Grant. 
    See the Garden for Pollinators ebook >> 
  • Published the Meatless Mondays Blog the share recipes and tips for environmentally-conscious cooking.  
  • Published the Small Actions, Big Impact ebook to share actions that individuals can take to live more sustainably. 
  • Started and managed the Sustainability at Langara Instagram account.