aerial view of Western's campus at night, with golden lights surrounded by dark trees

WWU publishes new comprehensive update to its Sustainability Action Plan

New document focuses on Western's institutional priorities around sustainability for the next 5 years

The President’s Sustainability Council recently adopted the Sustainability Action Plan 2025-2030 Priorities. 

This streamlined document focuses on strategies and action items for the 2025-2030 time frame and aims to be as accessible, inclusive, and engaging as possible, and calls for regular updates to the plan as sustainability challenges evolve. WWU is committed to the full implementation of the original Sustainability Action Plan to guide planning, development, and operations. This document was approved by WWU President Sabah Randhawa in November 2025.

Randhawa explained the importance of the plan and its goals:

"Historically, Western has been an exemplary model of sustainability in higher education. In 2017, Western’s Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) was released, identifying goals, objectives, and strategies to prioritize and implement sustainability efforts at Western. While there have been many achievements since the 2017 SAP, our sustainability challenges have evolved, particularly regarding the severity of our current global Climate Crisis. As an institution committed to serve as a sustainability leader for higher education, we share this five-year strategic focus with a clear commitment to climate action, improving sustainability metrics, and enhancing our engagement with the Western community in advancing this effort. This will be achieved through five ambitious and actionable goals: 

  • Positioning Western as a bold leader in climate action and sustainability
  • Improving tracking and reporting of Scope 3 emission sources
  • Advancing sustainability in curriculum and research
  • Better engaging the Western community
  • Achieving a STARS Gold score

We understand that some actions in this plan exceed our current capabilities; however, by outlining and working toward these goals over the next five years, Western will continue to make substantive progress towards our vision and ensure that Western continues to lead in climate action and sustainability in higher education. 

This Sustainability Action Plan is the product of voices from all sectors of the University, and I am grateful for the passion, commitment, and dedication that they have invested in this comprehensive and aspirational document. It reflects our values and vision, not only for what we hope Western will become, but for the kind of world we want to live in and help create," Randhawa said.

The update is posted on the SAP page of the Sustainability Engagement Institute website.