Sustainability at Telfer
Sustainability at the Telfer School of Management is a faculty-led, institution-wide effort grounded in research, teaching, and real-world impact.
Rather than a single initiative, it is a cohesive ecosystem built over nearly a decade — bringing together research excellence, academic leadership, and experiential learning to prepare the next generation of responsible leaders.
At the center of this ecosystem:
- Research Leadership — The Centre for Sustainable Impact/pour l’Impact Durable (CSIID)
- Strategy and Governance — The Telfer Sustainability Committee (TSC)
- Teaching and Action — The Green Academy
Together, they shape how sustainability is studied, taught, and applied at Telfer.
A decade of building sustainability (2015-2025)
Sustainability at Telfer didn’t start overnight. It has been built step by step through research, teaching innovation, student leadership, and institutional commitment.
Explore the milestones that shaped Telfer’s sustainability ecosystem, from early faculty leadership to CSIID, the Telfer Sustainability Committee (TSC), and the Green Academy.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the global framework that guides sustainability at Telfer. They shape how we teach, how we conduct research, and how we engage with communities, defining both the scope of our work and the impact we aim to achieve.
Research Leadership: CSIID
The Centre for Sustainable Impact (CSIID) is Telfer’s research hub for sustainability. As a faculty-led centre, CSIID:
- advances cutting-edge research aligned with the SDGs
- connects faculty, students, and global partners
- contributes to public policy, industry practices, and academic thought leadership.
Originally founded as the GGS research group (2018), CSIID became an official faculty centre in 2023, marking a major step in institutionalizing sustainability at Telfer.
CSIID supports and amplifies faculty-led sustainability initiatives that advance interdisciplinary research, innovation, and real-world impact. These include:
- publications and research
- funding global collaborations
- knowledge mobilization
Strategy & Governance: The Telfer Sustainability Committee (TSC)
Building on the Sustainability Plan developed by the Sustainability Task Force, the Telfer Sustainability Committee (TSC) is responsible for engaging the Telfer community and bringing the School's sustainability vision to life through measurable impact and long-term institutional change.
Teaching & Action: The Green Academy
The Green Academy at Telfer is an engine for experiential sustainability learning.
It brings together students, faculty, and partners to turn knowledge into action, applying ideas to real-world challenges, co-creating solutions with organizations, and building the practical skills needed to lead in a changing world.
At the same time, the Academy strengthens how sustainability is taught across the University of Ottawa, supporting faculty in integrating new approaches into their courses while creating stronger connections between research and practice.
Discover the different ways we bring sustainability to life through a series of hands-on initiatives designed to connect learning with real-world impact
Elevating Learning
The Green Academy is transforming the student learning experience by embedding sustainability into courses, experiential learning, and campus life across the University of Ottawa. Through partnerships with faculty, researchers, students, and community organizations, we have supported the development of sustainability-focused courses, Innovation Sprints, simulations, consulting projects, community-engaged learning opportunities, and interdisciplinary collaborations that equip students with the knowledge and skills to tackle real-world sustainability challenges. Whether you're looking to gain hands-on experience, explore sustainability through your courses, participate in an Innovation Sprint, or connect with a growing community of changemakers, the Green Academy is here to help you turn ideas into impact.
Innovation Sprints
Innovation Sprints are intensive, credit-bearing learning experiences designed to immerse students in real-world sustainability challenges.
Structured as short, high-impact courses, they bring together students, faculty, and partners to work collaboratively on complex problems, moving rapidly from insight to solution.
Offered twice each academic year, Innovation Sprints create recurring opportunities to connect the classroom with real-world impact, and to experiment with new ways of learning, teaching, and partnering.
SDG Month
SDG Month is part of a growing global and national movement to bring the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals SDGs to life on campuses. At the University of Ottawa, this initiative is led by Telfer, convening students, faculty, and partners around a shared commitment to sustainability.
Each year, the campus becomes a living laboratory, hosting events, workshops, challenges, and collaborative experiences that connect academic learning with real-world issues. Participants engage at different levels, with opportunities to earn digital certificates that recognize their involvement and commitment. From participation to leadership and changemaker distinctions, these certificates offer a structured way to track engagement and celebrate contributions.
From student-led initiatives to cross-faculty collaborations, SDG Month creates space for dialogue, experimentation, and action, while positioning Telfer as a key contributor to the broader SDG movement in Canada.
Watch the impact
The Green Academy at Telfer – made possible by a generous gift from the RBC Foundation
The Academy can receive support from a range of donors and organizations who share our mission, it operates with full academic independence, guided by faculty leadership, governed by the University, and accountable through transparent policies and public reporting.
The Green Academy at Telfer thanks the organizations and funders who support this work and help expand opportunities for students, faculty, and the broader community, whose engagement continues to shape and strengthen sustainability at Telfer and beyond.
We also extend our thanks to the many partners and suppliers who contribute to this ecosystem.
Measuring impact is central to sustainability at Telfer
As a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), Telfer reports regularly on its progress, capturing how research, teaching, and community engagement contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
More than reporting exercises, these publications offer a window into the School’s evolving impact: from faculty research and thought leadership to student achievements, award-winning initiatives, and the work of clubs and partners driving change on campus and beyond.
They provide a transparent and comprehensive view of how sustainability is being advanced across the Telfer community.
Telfer Knowledge Hub
Explore the latest articles from Telfer’s Greener pillar.
.jpg)
Contact us
Daina Mazutis
- Professorship in Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability (ERS)
- Co-Lead, Centre for Sustainable Impact/pour l’Impact Durable (CSIID)
- Director of Sustainability
- Director, Telfer Green Academy
-
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Takwa Youssef
- Intermediate Coordinator, The Green Academy at Telfer
-
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Join the interest list
Join our interest list and be the first to know about upcoming events, workshops and news.
