How did Toronto go from North America’s most sustainable city in 2015 to enduring record heat waves in 2018? While one responsible city cannot mitigate the effects of global climate change, Toronto stands both as a role model and a warning.
Planning long-term, the City of Toronto continues to focus on “Climate, Energy & Resilience”. Last year, IISD (Institute for Sustainable Development) opened its fifth global office in Toronto because the city is a “hub for innovation and collaboration.” Through IISD and other organizations, Toronto’s influence reaches as far as the gorilla’s in Congo and near as Toronto’s waterfront.
Will these efforts cure the toxic blue-green algae in Humber Bay?
The heat wave Canada is experiencing and the likelihood of a connection to climate change cannot be ignored, according to the University of Waterloo. Canada must prepare for “hotter, wetter and wilder”. Scientists, urban planners, and engineers need a strong sustainability foundation to help mitigate the inevitable – whether preparing for eco-migrants or garbage-smelling algal blooms.
Let’s say you’re not a biologist. Are there other opportunities? Absolutely!
Canada is debating a carbon pricing regime. That means sustainability experts are required who understand government, trade, law. Toronto’s investments alone for dealing with climate change reach into the tens of millions. Corporations will face ever-changing regulations.
There are over 800 sustainability-related jobs in Toronto and over 3000 throughout Canada (Indeed).
So far in 2018, more than 70 deaths in Quebec are attributed to climbing temperatures. Governments, NGOs, and corporations are preparing for the inevitable. They need sustainability practitioners who can decipher the interrelations of material issues to different stakeholders. They must be able to create and manage initiatives that are future-oriented.
Sustainability practitioners will be best positioned to meet these needs. The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) has trained government officials, NGO leaders and executives from the Fortune 500. CSE will deliver its Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2018, for a second time this year in Toronto, October 25-26, 2018.
Because these are global challenges, CSE is also holding trainings in Houston, USA, Sept. 27-28, 2018; Dubai, UAE, Nov. 11-12, 2018, and London, UK, December 6-7, 2018. Register now for early bird pricing or contact [email protected] group pricing discounts.