Canada's Greenest Employers (2025) - Flipbook - Page 40
40
SPONSOR CONTENT
CANADA'S GREENEST EMPLOYERS (2025)
Humber sets a new standard for sustainability
H
umber Polytechnic
in Toronto is on track
to be the among the
first polytechnic
institutions in
Canada to hit net-zero carbon in
2029. The institution is set to meet
this target by following its Climate
Action Plan, a strategy to achieve
significant reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions.
As a professor at Humber,
Dragos Paraschiv is preparing
students for a career in the field of
sustainable energy. He is excited to
see that this commitment to
sustainability goes beyond the
classroom and is an important
value to the Humber organization
itself.
decarbonization efforts prioritize
the transition from natural gas to
efficient electric-based heating
systems across its three campuses.
These projects will eliminate most
of the fossil-fuel-based heating
sources on campus, including
installation of a geothermal
system at its North Campus and
conversion from natural gas to
electric heating supplying many of
its buildings across the campuses.
“Sustainability leadership
means setting the bar high and
then surpassing it,” says Ann
Marie Vaughan, president and
CEO. “Humber’s commitment to
net zero in 2029 is about showing
what’s possible and challenging
others to step up and do the same.
Humber is demonstrating that
institutions can move faster, act
smarter, and inspire real change
by committing to sustainable
innovation at every level."
The institution is also focusing
on the development of academic
programs and professional
learning opportunities related to a
green economy.
Paraschiv says students in his
program work on real projects
with industry partners, such as
partnering with the City of
Toronto to perform energy audits
on City facilities. “This gives
students the chance to practice
their academic knowledge
acquired from courses in a real
building and to calculate energy
savings opportunities and do an
economic analysis of the proposed
measures.”
Students also work with
Humber facilities staff, for
example, analyzing energy use of a
building after a retrofit. “These
projects allow our students to see
how, when systems operate in an
efficient way, it results in better
comfort for occupants, more
efficient buildings, lower costs for
building owners and reduced
greenhouse gas emissions,”
Paraschiv says. “They see that
what they learn is feasible and see
how it is making a difference.”
Humber is demonstrating
that institutions can move
faster, act smarter, and
inspire real change by
committing to sustainable
innovation at every level.
— Ann Marie Vaughan
President and CEO
“This is the field I teach in, so
seeing it come to life in the
buildings where I work is an
incredible experience,” says
Paraschiv, a professor in the
Sustainable Building Engineering
program in the Faculty of
Applied Sciences & Technology.
Humber embeds sustainability
into everything, from operations
to academic programming, to
ensure students and partners are
prepared for the transition to a
green economy. Its
Humber Polytechnic works with industry partners, like the City of Toronto, to perform energy audits and other
environmentally-focused projects.
