Making a difference means matching the right skills with your passion. The Mohawk College School of Climate Action is the place where students and industry leaders turn their passion into purpose and intention into application. Reimagine the future at Mohawk College, Canada’s leading hub for climate action, where sustainability is not just a “program”, but a way of being.

• Academic programming
• Industry and community collaborations
• Applied research and integrated learning

Track record of action

Multiple ways to be part of the solution

For more than a decade, Mohawk College has been at the forefront of climate action—both by what it teaches and with what it does.

Interdisciplinary programs in sustainability

The School of Climate Action’s programs, including future degrees, blend knowledge from multiple disciplines to give students a broad understanding of sustainability and sharpen their system-thinking skills, making them invaluable across diverse sectors.
 

Applied Research

The first position of its kind in Canada, the Research Chair in Skilled Trades for the Green Economy bridges the gap between theory and practice by developing real-world solutions. Mohawk College students gain hands-on experience and develop professional networks while collaborating with businesses and communities.
 

Experiential Learning

Mohawk College was one of the first institutions in Canada to implement the philosophy of learning by doing. Students of sustainability programs develop authentic professional experience in addition to critical thinking, communication, and project management—crucial for a career in sustainability.
 

A Green Curriculum

Every Mohawk College student is a climate leader. For sustainability students and their collaborators, this inspires risk-taking. Integrated into most programs at Mohawk College, the green curriculum helps students become green facilitators at different jobs, besides helping them develop a greener lifestyle.

Investment and operations

From community gardens and orchards to bike- and pedestrian-friendly campuses and zero-carbon buildings, Mohawk College has cut its carbon footprint by 70 percent (compared to 2007). And it aims to be a net-zero campus, i.e. consuming less energy than it produces, in less than ten years.

 

A creative exploration space on sustainability 

The School of Climate Action’s sustainability programs are unique in its integration of practical skills. Course content is carefully crafted to connect classroom knowledge to real-world sustainability initiatives—using the campus and the surrounding towns as living labs.

At Mohawk College, The Joyce Centre of Partnership & Innovation is the base camp of climate action and innovation. It is a 96,000-square-foot, net-zero building—an award-winning masterpiece in sustainable architecture, fitted with an array of green technologies.

Utilizing the Mohawk College's green talent pool, top-tier labs and facilities, industries and communities benefit from fresh problem-solving skills and efficient green technologies. Through these research and partnerships, Mohawk College aims to map out more than 50 sustainable solutions in the next five years.

Developing sustainable business plans and communicating it persuasively to investors, implementing a sustainable housing project and pointing out the impacts of each decision—students at Mohawk College’s sustainability programs learn the skills to perform different roles in a company, besides learning to adapt to the fast-changing work environment. In addition to developing a versatile skillset, Mohawk College’s sustainability offerings like certifications and micro-credentials serve as pathways to traditional college programs. Or, for those already in the workforce, an opportunity to upskill to be a sustainability leader.

Learn, Connect, Co-create

Partnerships bring together associations and Mohawk College to address issues collaboratively.  

• At Mohawk College’s Centre for Climate Change Management, students, industry experts, and community leaders come together to work on projects ranging from retrofitting homes to reducing carbon emissions of steel plants. This gives students hands-on experience and professional connections, while businesses and communities adopt sustainable technology, improve their efficiency, and gain competitive advantage. With a focus on “deep mitigation strategies,” the Centre also provides businesses with customized recommendations to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut costs. 
• The Bay Area Climate Change Council works with municipalities to drive change to new technology, lower green house gas emissions and community information. 
• The Canadian College for a Resilient Recovery, a coalition of 15 institutions across Canada support innovation and training nationwide for learners and industries to drive a more comprehensive green transition.
• The SEE Institute in Dubai, partnered with Mohawk College to promote a sustainable future through education and create opportunities for sustainable education, training, research, international exchange programs and more. ECO Canada and Mohawk College have developed a strategic partnership to enhance workforce development through the delivery of innovative training solutions that address the pressing need for skilled professionals in this critical industry.