Township of Wilmot Featured in Case Study
Having been a member of the Regional Sustainability Initiative since 2015, the Township of Wilmot has become the first township in Waterloo Region to set a public greenhouse gas reduction target. They are working towards reducing their emissions by 25% using 2012 as their baseline. Some of their projects are already showing successful savings in both cost and energy usage. Check out their case study to learn more
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Change Management and Sustainability
On June 13th, professionals gathered at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener for a Change Management and Sustainability event, where change management practice, tools, and how to apply them were discussed. Matthew Day, Manager of SWR’s Regional Sustainability Initiative, opened the event with a brief overview of Regional Sustainability Initiative’s end-of-year member survey. The top three goals across all members were: reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reducing energy use, and increasing employee engagement. The goal of employee engagement stuck out because many members expressed a desire for ...
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Event Recap – It’s All About the Numbers
On May 22nd 2018, Paul Rak (President and founder of Cambridge-based VeriForm Inc.) made the business case for implementing low-technology sustainability initiatives into everyday business operations. The event took place at Waterloo North Hydro and was attended by an assortment of professionals looking to learn how to optimize sustainability, efficiency, and cost-savings in their operations.
Rak began by giving an overview of the company, when they started their journey towards sustainability, and the results the company has achieved since. VeriForm is a metal fabricating company which specia ...
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Evening of Recognition 2018 Recap
Thursday, April 12 was a big day for Sustainable Waterloo Region and the many program participants and volunteers who help make everything we do such a success.
On April 12, we celebrated our 9th Evening of Recognition.
The Turret at Wilfrid Laurier University was standing room only as sustainability leaders gathered to celebrate their successes and achievements, swap stories, and share learnings.
That the event was held at Laurier was particularly meaningful; for 10 years, Wilfrid Laurier University has played a critical role in helping SWR and all Regional Sustainability Initiative members a ...
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10 ways our volunteers ROCK!
Over the four years that I have been at Sustainable Waterloo Region, I have been repeatedly amazed and touched with the kinds of time and talent that are shared in this community to work together for the creation of a shared vision of the future. From students to community leadership, the volunteers at SWR are incredible.
I could try to articulate all the things that people have done, but my memory is, as many of you have heard me say” like a steel sieve”, so I would rather share the top 10 ways that volunteers make all of us at SWR so very grateful.
Professional expertise. Many of our volunt ...
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Volunteers Support Professional Development
I’ve been a member of the SWR team for a long time, starting as a volunteer back in 2008. The volunteer structure at SWR is very close to my heart. Over the years, I’ve seen the power of this model and what it’s done for the organization, helping us to reach higher and do more, with limited financial resources. I’ve also seen the valuable and transferable work experience that volunteers have gained from being part of the SWR team. Recently, in the last year and a half, I’ve come to truly appreciate a new layer that’s been added to the model.
To set the context, historically our Human Resources ...
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Thank you to all the Green Team volunteers
What many folks might not realize about sustainability-focused efforts is that not all organizations have the capacity to have a designated role for this. On many occasions, it is the voluntary work of one or handful of employees who are passionate about the environment. The effort to pull together a green team, engage the whole organization, integrate sustainability awareness, report on energy consumption and waste diversion – these tasks are completed alongside their primary role but with equal amounts of enthusiasm. This is why at the Regional Sustainability Initiative, we refer to them as ...
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5+ Years’ of Volunteerism and Counting!
Sustainable Waterloo Region’s greatest resource is our people. We are able to accomplish SWR’s great work with a committed team of volunteers and a small staff driven by a shared passion to achieve an environmentally sustainable Waterloo Region for current and future generations.
Fueled by this passion, our volunteers join us for any number of reasons; from gaining meaningful work experience, to expanding professional networks, connecting with other like-minded individuals, or contributing their professional expertise to improve their local community. Our volunteer base is dynamic: as we welco ...
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Lisa Chapman |
April 18, 2016
SWR would like to formally congratulate the R+T Park Green Team who received formal recognition at Sustainable Waterloo Region’s annual recognition event. A year of collaborative work and pushing the group to a reduction commitment is a great achievement in such a short time! Click to read the Rookie Award Press Release.
Sustainable Waterloo Region |
April 7, 2016
KITCHENER, ON April 7th 2016 – Mark your calendars! On April 14, 2016, join leaders in environmental sustainability from around the region as they come together to celebrate the actions and achievements local organizations have made in advancing the sustainability of Waterloo Region. Sustainable Waterloo Region 7th annual Evening of Recognition will feature the release the […]
Sustainable Waterloo Region |
February 5, 2016
KITCHENER, ON February 5th, 2016 – February is Carpool Month, and through games, contests, and great prizes TravelWise is making it fun to get people engaged. TravelWise is challenging Waterloo Region businesses to find ways to share rides to work, saving carbon emissions and money, while having fun in the process. “In past years we’ve […]
Sustainable Waterloo Region |
January 22, 2016
KITCHENER, ON, January 22nd, 2016 – Transportation is one of the top contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, but auto manufacturer General Motors of Canada is working hard to change their impact. From facilities to vehicle General Motors of Canada (GM) is dedicated to taking the right initiatives to protect human health, our natural resources, […]
Lexi Halley |
December 17, 2015
WATERLOO REGION, ON (December 17, 2015) – There have been extraordinary conversations about climate change on the global level over the last week at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, COP21, but closer to home, Waterloo Region is ahead of the curve in taking action to combat climate change. Close to 70 organizations in Waterloo Region, […]
Matt Quinn |
May 12, 2015
May 5, 2015 (Waterloo Region, ON) – Sustainable Waterloo Region, a local environmental not-for-profit, announced at its annual Evening of Recognition on Thursday April 30 that it has entered into an agreement with three Waterloo Region organizations to work together toward the building of a leading-edge sustainable building in Waterloo Region, slated to open in […]
Michelle Sullivan |
March 6, 2015
Waterloo, Ontario, March 5, 2015 – The David Johnston Research + Technology Park is known for sector leading innovation. Now in tandem with the park’s 10th anniversary, they are once again creating change. The park is taking a leadership role in creating a strong culture of sustainability by joining Sustainable Waterloo Region’s (SWR) Regional Carbon […]
Michelle Sullivan |
July 23, 2014
(Waterloo Region, ON) July 15, 2014 – Sustainable Waterloo Region is expanding the Regional Carbon Initiative (RCI) with the launch of a new Collaborative Facility Membership option, and is excited to welcome the Marsland Centre on Erb Street as the program’s inaugural member. Under the Collaborative Facility Membership option, building tenants are encouraged to partner […]
Lisa Chapman |
May 8, 2014
(WATERLOO REGION, ON) April 25, 2014 – Hundreds of sustainability leaders came together in Waterloo Region last night to celebrate the achievements they’re making in improving the environmental sustainability of their organizations at Sustainable Waterloo Region’s 5th Annual Evening of Recognition. Close to 500 people representing local government, business, academia, and not-for-profit joined Sustainable Waterloo […]
Michelle Sullivan |
January 14, 2014
January 14, 2014 (Waterloo Region, ON) – Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR) announced today that Tova Davidson will join the organization as incoming Executive Director. This marks the successful conclusion of an 8-month process to find the organization’s next leader. As executive director, Tova will guide the organization’s new strategic direction – launched in December 2013, […]
