Brock University supports climate education and awareness both on campus and within the broader Niagara community through public engagement initiatives, sustainability programming, experiential learning opportunities, and community partnerships. These activities help increase climate literacy and encourage action on climate change and environmental sustainability.

Examples include:

• Climate-Focused Learning Opportunities: Brock offers courses that address climate change, environmental sustainability, and human impacts on the environment, including ERSC 2P08 – Climate Crisis, GEOG 1P12 – Our Changing Environment: Human Impacts, and BIOL 3P85 – Ecology of a Changing Planet.
• Sustainability Education and Engagement: Students, faculty, and staff participate in sustainability tours, campus events, and experiential learning opportunities that connect climate theory with practical action and encourage climate awareness across disciplines.
• Community Climate Partnerships: Brock contributes to regional climate education and action through partnerships and engagement with initiatives such as the Niagara Climate Change Action Network (NCCAN) and local climate-planning efforts across the Niagara region.
• Public Sustainability Resources: Through its Sustainability website and SDG resources, Brock provides publicly accessible information on climate action, greenhouse gas reduction, sustainability practices, and climate-related initiatives.

Through education, outreach, community partnerships, and sustainability programming, Brock University helps build climate awareness and climate-action capacity within both the University and the broader Niagara community

Brock University has publicly shared plans and targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition toward a low-carbon campus. Through its climate and energy planning framework, the University tracks progress, identifies emissions-reduction opportunities, and outlines actions to support long-term climate goals.

Examples include:

• Carbon Reduction Plan: Brock has established a target of reducing institutional greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan outlines a pathway that includes energy conservation, electrification, infrastructure upgrades, and low-carbon energy strategies.
• Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan 2024-2029: The University publicly reports energy performance and identifies actions to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and support sustainable campus operations.
• Performance Tracking and Reporting: Brock publicly tracks energy use, carbon emissions, and progress toward climate goals through annual reporting, energy-use data, and institutional scorecards.

Through public climate planning, emissions-reduction targets, and ongoing performance reporting, Brock University demonstrates its commitment to climate action and long-term decarbonization.

Brock University actively participates in co-operative planning for climate change disasters through collaborative partnerships with local and regional government entities.

Brock University collaborates with municipalities and community partners across the Niagara region to support climate adaptation planning, resilience building, and preparedness for climate-related risks and disasters. Through research partnerships, community engagement, and knowledge-sharing initiatives, the University contributes expertise that helps local governments assess vulnerabilities and develop strategies to respond to climate-related impacts.

Examples include:

• Niagara Adapts: A partnership between Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) and Niagara municipalities that support collaborative climate change adaptation assessment, planning, and implementation. The initiative was designed to help municipalities understand climate vulnerabilities and build long-term climate resilience.
• Municipal Climate Adaptation Planning: Through Niagara Adapts, Brock partnered with the municipalities of Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Pelham, St. Catharines, and Welland to develop climate adaptation plans addressing risks such as flooding, heat waves, drought, extreme weather events, and changing temperature patterns.
• Community and Stakeholder Engagement: The partnership supported stakeholder engagement activities, community consultation, workshops, and knowledge mobilization efforts to ensure local concerns and priorities were reflected in municipal climate adaptation planning.
• Climate Resilience and Emergency Preparedness: The climate adaptation plans developed through Niagara Adapts help municipalities prepare for hotter summers, flooding, stormwater challenges, extreme weather events, drought conditions, and other climate-related risks affecting local communities.
• Community Climate Education and Collaboration: Niagara Adapts included public events and community engagement activities, including public film screenings, discussions, workshops, and forums focused on climate resilience and adaptation planning.

Through partnerships with municipalities, climate adaptation planning, stakeholder engagement, and resilience-building initiatives, Brock University supports cooperative planning that helps Niagara communities prepare for and respond to climate-related challenges and disasters.

Brock University supports local governments in addressing climate change through research partnerships, climate adaptation planning, knowledge mobilization, and evidence-based policy development. The University works with municipalities and public-sector partners to provide expertise that informs climate resilience, adaptation strategies, and long-term planning initiatives.

Examples include:

• Niagara Adapts: Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) partnered with seven Niagara municipalities to support collaborative climate change adaptation assessment, planning, and implementation. The project helped municipalities understand climate vulnerabilities and develop strategies to address climate-related risks.
• Municipal Climate Adaptation Plans: Brock researchers worked with the municipalities of Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Pelham, St. Catharines, and Welland to develop climate adaptation plans addressing flooding, drought, extreme weather, stormwater management, emergency preparedness, and other climate-related challenges.
• Climate Planning Expertise: Through Niagara Adapts, Brock provided research expertise, climate vulnerability assessments, stakeholder engagement support, and planning resources that informed municipal decision-making and climate resilience strategies.
• Knowledge Mobilization and Government Engagement: Brock hosted workshops, seminars, panel discussions, and public engagement activities that brought together municipal officials, researchers, practitioners, and community members to exchange knowledge and strengthen climate adaptation planning.
• Public Policy Research: The Niagara Community Observatory, Brock’s public-policy think tank, conducts research and provides analysis on issues affecting municipalities and regional planning, helping inform evidence-based public decision-making.

Through climate adaptation partnerships, municipal planning support, and public-policy research, Brock University contributes expertise that helps governments and public-sector organizations address climate-related challenges and build community resilience.

Brock University collaborates with non-governmental organizations and community partners to promote environmental education, sustainability awareness, and climate action among students and the broader community. These partnerships provide experiential learning opportunities and connect participants with local, national, and global environmental initiatives.

Examples include:

• WWF-Canada Living Planet @ Campus Partnership: Brock partnered with World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) to provide students with opportunities to participate in conservation activities and environmental initiatives at the campus, community, and global levels.
• Living Planet Leader Certification: Through the partnership, students can work toward WWF-Canada’s nationally recognized Living Planet Leader certification by completing activities related to environmental stewardship, volunteerism, sustainability leadership, conservation action, and community engagement.
• Environmental Education Events: Brock and WWF-Canada have jointly delivered educational events and outreach activities focused on conservation, biodiversity, climate change, and sustainability, helping students understand environmental challenges and identify opportunities for action.
• Community-Based Sustainability Learning: Students participating in the Living Planet Leader program engage in volunteer activities offered through WWF-Canada, Brock University, and community organizations, creating opportunities for environmental learning beyond the classroom.
• Environmental Sustainability Research Centre Partnerships: Through the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC), Brock collaborates with community groups, nonprofit organizations, and external partners on environmental sustainability initiatives that create opportunities for education, research, and public engagement.

Through partnerships with NGOs and community organizations, Brock University supports environmental education, conservation awareness, and climate action while connecting students and community members to meaningful sustainability initiatives.

Brock University has publicly committed to reducing institutional greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning toward a carbon-neutral future through long-term climate and energy planning. The University has established emissions-reduction targets and developed a roadmap to guide decarbonization across campus operations.

Examples include:

• Carbon Reduction Plan: Brock has established a target of reducing institutional greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 (from a 2013 baseline) and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan outlines pathways and actions required to meet these targets.
• Decarbonization Strategy: The University’s Carbon Reduction Plan identifies key actions including electrification of heating systems, reduced natural gas dependence, energy conservation measures, infrastructure renewal, and the transition toward lower-carbon energy sources.
• Energy Conservation and Demand Management Planning: Through its Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan 2024-2029, Brock publicly reports energy performance and identifies measures that support emissions reductions and long-term climate objectives.
• Performance Monitoring: Brock tracks greenhouse gas emissions, carbon performance, and energy consumption through institutional reporting and energy scorecards to monitor progress toward its climate goals.

Through publicly stated emissions-reduction targets, carbon planning, and ongoing performance monitoring, Brock University demonstrates its commitment to achieving a low-carbon and ultimately net-zero future.

Brock University has publicly committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and reducing institutional greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030 (from a 2013 baseline). These targets are outlined in Brock’s Carbon Reduction Plan, which provides a roadmap for decarbonization through energy efficiency improvements, electrification, infrastructure renewal, and low-carbon energy strategies.

Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan