SFU joins International Sustainable Campus Network

SFU has joined the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), a global network of nearly 100 higher education institutions in 30 countries. Network institutions work collaboratively to increase sustainability best practices in their campus operations, research and teaching.

Since joining the network in May 2019, SFU has committed to the ISCN’s calls to action in institutional leadership and network collaboration. Through the network, SFU is working with other leading institutions to exchange lessons learned and to gain recognition for SFU’s sustainability successes.

SFU has made concerted efforts to advance sustainability in our community. Keep reading below to learn more about the diverse sustainability initiatives taking place in our community:

Corix Biomass Plant

Slated to begin operations by 2020, SFU and the SFU Community Trust have worked with Corix Multi-Utility Services Inc. to establish a high-efficiency heating plant using biomass. This new plant, which is part of the Burnaby Mountain District Energy Utility, will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 85 percent at SFU’s Burnaby campus and at UniverCity.

Oscar AI Robot

SFU’s Surrey campus is the future home of Oscar, an artificial robot that helps people recycle better. Using visual processing, Oscar automatically identifies recycling from trash and instructs users on how to sustainably dispose of their waste. SFU is contracting Intuitive AI to install Oscar, which was co-founded by SFU alumni Hassan Murad and Vivec Yvas, who graduated from the Mechatronics Systems Engineering program in SFU’s Faculty of Applied Sciences.

SFU Fair Trade

SFU became Canada’s second Fair Trade Campus in 2012 and has continued to champion fair trade practices. Fair trade products sold at SFU meet ethical standards that include supporting equitable compensation for farmers and workers, and helping producers to reinvest in their communities. Initiatives unique to SFU Fair Trade include developing a student ambassador program and a course unit to support research projects. In 2019 SFU Fair Trade won an SFU President’s Award for Leadership in Sustainability. SFU is currently working to become the first university in Canada to receive a Silver designation.

More info

SFU continuously strives to improve and diversify its sustainability performance. To learn more about sustainability at SFU or to get involved, visit www.sfu.ca/sustainability.