Areas of Focus

Grassy berm covered in bright yellow flowers with NC Welland campus AHI building in the background
To make comprehensive sustainability action, certain goals and targets will be measurable and others may be qualitative, but they are all important.

We want to see action and progress through diverse activities. We are committed to building resilience and collaborating to make short- and long-term positive change. To help understand Areas of Focus, a guide is available below and on each Area of Focus page.

The Niagara College Executive Team will oversee the administration and execution of the Sustainability Action Plan and will support the integration of the plan into all areas of the college. NC Sustainability will support and guide college-wide sustainability actions, but as this is an institutional plan, everyone within the NC community has a role in collectively achieving these goals, targets, and actions.

Explore Areas of Focus Understanding Areas of Focus

Learning

A snapping turtle rests on the shore of the lagoon with student signage in the foreground
Core Priorities
  • Academic
  • Co-Curricular
  • Research

Strengthen sustainability awareness, competency, and literacy, for collective and transformative action within the broad NC community, through academic programming, experiential learning, and applied research.

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Built and Natural Environment

Three environmental students wearing waders monitor benthics in water run off ditch during Spring
Core Priorities
  • Biodiversity
  • Land
  • Buildings
  • Transportation

Enhance physical infrastructure through sustainable and inclusive design, construction, and operations that support resilience, inclusion, ecological restoration, and conservation of biological diversity, while creating opportunities for learning and best-practice sharing.

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Community Resources

Volunteers from the United Way Garden Club post in front of the sign near the garden
Core Priorities
  • Waste
  • Water
  • Energy
  • Food

Prioritize effective resource management and recovery, working towards long term net-positive impacts and net zero carbon to support the global transition to a resilient, circular, socially just low carbon economy.

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Climate Action and Leadership

Group of NC staff poses with 2 large certificates for the UN Sustainable Development Goals signing pledge
Core Priorities
  • Carbon Emissions
  • Procurement
  • Governance

Establish climate driven governance by integrating climate action principles and sustainability into decision making to support short- and long-term resilience and address the complex environmental, social, and economic impacts of climate change and establish Niagara College as a leader.

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Understanding Areas of Focus

Goals and Targets
  • Each Area of Focus outlined above identifies several Core Priorities.
  • Goals and Targets are associated with each Core Priority.
Actions
  • Actions will help us achieve our Goals and Targets and are provided in an Actions table.
  • Multiple Actions are associated with each Core Priority.
Actions Tables

Every Action has columns of additional information that connects that Action to sustainability efforts. These columns of information are explained below.

Connected Priorities

Connected Priorities identify the Core Priorities this action impacts to help illustrate the interconnection of single actions. 

Timeline

Timeline outlines the approximate time frame it will take to implement this action. The timelines are defined as:

  • Short-term: 1-2 years
  • Medium-term: 3-5 years
  • Long-term: 5+ years
Lead

Lead identifies the Niagara College Departments and Schools that will provide leadership to support the implementation of this action, with the support from respective Directors, and Executive Team members. The success of these actions is a combined effort between all members of the Niagara College community. We need to collectively work together to support the Leads directly and indirectly.  

STARS in Action

STARS in Action identifies the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) credits from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) that Action aligns with. 

SDGs in Action

SDGs in Action identify the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that this Action positively impacts. Learn more about how NC is impacting the SDGs.

GTVET in Action

GTVET in Action identifies the Greening Technical Vocational Education and Training (GTVET) Dimensions of Greening that each Action aligns with. 

You can also find the information above on each Areas of Focus page.

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