Recognizing the moral, social and economic imperative to rapidly and significantly reduce emissions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) is taking important steps to reduce the environmental impact of its operations in alignment with the whole-of-government effort to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
- NSERC's new net-zero Ottawa headquarters, located on Algonquin Anishinaabe territory in one of the most sustainable developments in Canada, relies entirely on zero-carbon energy sources.
- Our headquarters is conveniently located close to public transit stops and bike paths, allowing staff to reduce their reliance on vehicles.
- NSERC has adopted a technology-enabled hybrid work model, reducing emissions associated with commuting by up to 60%.
- NSERC is reducing staff travel by up to 90% relative to pre-pandemic levels, leveraging virtual participation in conferences and meetings wherever possible.
- Virtual committees have become NSERC’s new standard for peer review, drastically reducing the need for transportation to, and accommodations in, Ottawa.
- NSERC has transitioned to a paper-free work environment thanks to investments in technology and training.
- NSERC is greening its procurement operations in compliance with the Policy on Green Procurement.
- From 2019 to 2021, NSERC funded research grants on climate change and biodiversity totaling $884M, representing approximately 22% of total NSERC investments.
- Over the last 5 years, over 18,000 climate change related publications have been published with support from NSERC.
- Over the last decade, NSERC has offered more than 20 special funding opportunities to support research to better understand the effects of climate change, and develop innovations, policies and strategies that directly respond to those effects.
- NSERC and SSHRC are partnering with their U.S., UK and Australian counterparts on the NSF Global Centres initiative, which will encourage and support international collaborative research on climate change and clean energy.
- In 2023, as part of the New Frontiers in Research Fund, NSERC is partnering with CIHR, SSHRC and CFI to offer research grants through the
2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Competition . - NSERC will continue working with the research community, other funders, and science-based departments and agencies, to co-develop approaches to addressing environmental sustainability.
NSERC is committed to supporting the whole-of-government effort to reduce emissions, develop clean technologies and address climate-related challenges as outlined in NSERC’s strategic plan –