About

In May 2005, Toronto was selected as the location for one of seven Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development by the United Nations University. Regional Centres from around the world seek to enhance access and quality of education for sustainable development (ESD). The Regional Centres of Expertise are one way that the United Nations is promoting the International Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). Toronto's RCE will be known as the Education Alliance for a Sustainable Toronto, and is chaired by Professor Ingrid Stefanovic from the University of Toronto's Centre for Environment. From July 1, 2008, Professor Stefanovic’s suggestion for a co-chairing arrangement was approved by the RCE Steering Committee and Professor Roy Paluoja of Seneca College will join Professor Stefanovic in taking the RCE/EAST forward.

What is a Regional Centre of Expertise?

Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) are regional networks designed to strengthen collaboration on education for sustainable development among regional and local actors. Sustainable development is an ever-evolving concept that integrates environmental stewardship, economic development and social well-being of all people – not just for today but for generations to come. Education has been widely identified as a key necessary element in moving sustainability forward with three key audiences: students, the public at large, and professionals.
RCEs usually include school teachers at elementary and secondary schools, university professors, researchers, museums, local government officials, grassroots and non-governmental organizations, local businesses, and the media – all of whom play an important role in creating a sustainable future.
At the international level, the United Nations University supports linkages and sharing between RCEs from around the world. More information on the international RCE network.

Why a Regional Centre of Expertise in Toronto?  


Geography

The city of Toronto, located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes, is the largest in Canada (and the fifth largest in North America) with a population of 2.5 million. The greater Toronto region is characterized by diverse peoples, economies, natural environments, as well as cultural, technological and educational resources.

Regional challenges

The Toronto region, known as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)is the fastest growing metropolitan area in Canada, and one of the fastest in all of North America, with a population of over 5.5 million. This region mixes a highly urbanized setting with mature suburbs and agricultural land undergoing transition. Provincial growth estimates suggest that the GTA will add more than three million people over the next thirty years.

Sustainability issues that Torontonians are addressing include:

  • The need for the wise management of regional growth –population growth in the area requires careful consideration of housing needs with available resources such as water, energy, green space, transportation and other infrastructure.
  • Waste management  - The City ran out of landfill space in December 2002 and since that time has been transporting waste across the Canada/United States border to private landfills in the state of Michigan. Waste management is an on-going issue for other jurisdictions in the GTA and the Golden Horseshoe.
  • Sustainable infrastructure – building and maintenance of the infrastructure for delivering on sustainability
    needs within different sectors.
  • Safety  - Toronto’s crime rates are well below other major North American regions, although it is still vulnerable to violent acts, which creates challenges for all sectors of our society.
  • Greening of the region - Including fostering green economic development clusters and promotion and implementation of new greenbelt protection legislation.

Toronto is the primary population and economic centre within the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. It is home to a number of school districts, universities, colleges, research institutes, and non-formal educational groups, many of which are world-renowned for their work in the field of education and sustainable development. These assets, combined with newly emerging regional and provincial policies aimed at balancing interests among the natural environment, social development concerns and economic growth, make the Toronto region an excellent case study for how a cosmopolitan North American jurisdiction is facing issues in sustainable development.

design coalescence