Sustainability is the foundation of Seneca’s academic offerings and research. Grounded in research, diverse perspectives and experiences and informed by Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing, Seneca offers meaningful and immersive experiences for students and faculty to build a sustainable future.
Our education and research goals align with the following SDGs:
Seneca students have the opportunity to transform our campuses into Living Labs for experiential learning and applied research. This approach allows students from various disciplines to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world challenges presented by campus infrastructure and operations. By engaging in hands-on projects that tackle sustainability issues, students not only enhance their skills but also contribute to solving pressing environmental problems.
Join us in fostering active learning, innovation and sustainable solutions that make a positive impact on our campuses and beyond. Learn more about the Seneca Living Lab and examples of student projects.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact sustainability@senecapolytechnic.ca.
Local businesses are increasingly driven to innovate, and Seneca Applied Research is fully committed to assisting them in this endeavour. With the generous support of a $1.5 million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's Mobilize program, Seneca Applied Research's capacity to align with industry needs and adapt swiftly has significantly improved.
2022 marked a remarkable expansion of our research initiatives at Seneca Applied Research, with micro farming research now constituting 13 percent of Applied Research’s active projects. Seneca Applied Research spearheaded projects aimed at enhancing nutrition and yield in vertical farming, fostering community food resilience through urban agriculture and exploring the utilization of cricket manure as a soil fertilizer.
Seneca Applied Research has started implementing the Toronto Urban Farmer Training program (TUFT) designed to support urban farmers as they create viable, sustainable enterprises. To learn how to get involved in this training, please visit the training space.
Seneca Business has joined more than 800 leading business schools across 85 countries as a signatory of the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Management Education, part of a global movement to transform business and management education. Read the 2021-2022 PRME report to learn more.
Seneca’s School of Fashion is committed to promoting and advocating for sustainable development. In alignment with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and as a member of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global network of postsecondary institutions, the School of Fashion has worked to integrate sustainable practices into its teaching and initiatives on campus. To learn more, please visit their sustainability initiatives page.
The School of Fashion also signed a memorandum of understanding with Chio Lecca School of Fashion — Peru’s most prominent fashion institute — where Seneca students participate in a faculty-led program to learn about Peruvian textiles and techniques to naturally dye fabrics.
First Peoples@Seneca honours Indigenous culture and tradition with sustainable practice. It involves following the Indigenous wisdom of looking ahead seven generations and understanding how the past links with the present while not compromising future generations.
For example, when planting the medicine garden at Newnham Campus, considerations were made to support the wellness of Seneca’s bee colony, which pollinates for the well-being of the surrounding environment.
Seneca offers introductory beekeeping workshops through the Faculty of Continuing Education. The workshops are intended for beginners and hobbyists to learn the essentials of how to get started, including maintaining a hive, queening, re-queening, creating splits and disease and pest control.
Over 40 academic programs at Seneca include one or more than one sustainability-focused courses in their offerings.
