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Engage in Global Challenges
SFU’s sustainability and climate action leadership earns Burnaby Environmental Awards
The 91ĹÝÜ˝ (SFU) Sustainability and Climate Office (SCO) has been recognized with the City of Burnaby Environmental Award in the Business Stewardship category for developing SFU’s Embedding Sustainability and Climate Action (ESCA) Framework.
The long-term commitments, leadership and large projects with a big impact—the exact purpose of ESCA.
The framework embeds sustainability and climate action work across all of the university’s functions through the vice-president (VP) portfolios at SFU. The framework’s purpose is to integrate sustainability and climate action planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting into everything the university does—from learning and teaching, to research, operations and global and local engagement.
SCO developed the framework in 2022 and it was approved by the Executive team as part of the 2022-2025 Strategic Sustainability and Climate Plan. The framework was utilized to write the goals within the plan and to design implementation with each of the Vice-President portfolio teams.
The Sustainability and Climate Office continues to work with senior leaders and their teams to embed sustainability and climate action into the university’s strategies, plans, policies, practices, projects and performance planning and measurement.
The university’s strategic sustainability and climate plans (which were designed using the ESCA framework) guide SFU’s work on related institutional initiatives—large and small—like the pledge to divest from fossil fuels; joining the United Nations (UN)-backed Race To Zero campaign; SFU research priority Climate Innovation; and commitments to advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SFU and the City of Burnaby are partners in the , a collaboration that helps the university and the City to achieve sustainable growth and address the impacts of climate change.
The university has also partnered with —as part of the Renewable Energy Centre— to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heating by 80 per cent since 2021. 
“We are proud to receive the Environmental Award from the City of Burnaby,” says Candace Ratelle, executive director of the SFU Sustainability and Climate Office. “Sustainability and Climate Action work is critical work and SFU recognizes this. The ESCA framework helps us ensure that we express these critical priorities across everything we do. We are grateful for everyone at SFU that has worked toward the success of the framework as a collective university project and look forward to renewed efforts in the lead up to 2030.”
SFU resource and environmental management (REM) program alumnus Maria Proteasa was also recognized for her work in Community Stewardship. Proteasa created the Food Forest Outdoor Learning Space at SFU. The Food Forest has become a hub for activities such as tree planting, eco-art workshops and a venue for the SFU Archeology 200 course, “Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being on the Land.”
SFU’s leadership in sustainability and climate action was recently recognized in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, which measures progress towards the UN SDGs. We are second in Canada for Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), and third in Canada for both Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) and Climate Action (SDG 13).
As the SFU 2022-2025 Strategic Sustainability and Climate Action Plan is nearing completion, the university has launched Countdown to 2030, highlighting sustainability and climate action events across all three campuses.
To learn more and become involved visit: Embedding Sustainability and Climate Action Framework and sfu.ca/sustainability.html