College of Sustainability Dalhousie University

06/04/2026

Lister de Vitré is graduating with a BSc Combined Honours (Co-op) in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS) and Chemistry, with a Minor in Indigenous Studies.

Lister is also the 2026 recipient of the University Medal in ESS (for the highest-standing ESS grad with First Class Honours) and the Steven Mannell SUST-Star Prize (given to the student graduating with Honours or a primary major in ESS who achieved the highest GPA in SUST classes). Congrats Lister!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS?

“The College of Sustainability is a lovely community, and it was so fun to be part of the community meals program! It taught me that I really enjoy cooking for people and hosting. And also that it's a lot of work to scrub crock-pots.”

Favourite course?

“I really enjoyed the classes with shenanigans and fun. So naturally my favourites were Conflict Negotiation (SUST 4125) and Effective Argument (SUST 3103).”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“I think we should continue to push against the systems that have led to climate change as well as countless injustices. My fear is that greenhouse gas reductions will happen, but capitalism, colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy, etc., will remain intact. Surely this isn't a foregone conclusion, but it's gonna take a lot of work to make the change.”

06/03/2026

Grace Elander is graduating with a BA Combined Honours in History of Science & Technology and Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS). Congrats Grace!!

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite course?

“My absolute favourite ESS course was SUST 2001: Global Environmental Governance. I loved doing the mock COP30 Summit, as it helped me get to know my classmates better and learn about real-world sustainability issues from the perspective of a country other than Canada. Furthermore, this class really helped me develop my research skills and opened my eyes to all the pathways a sustainability degree can provide. Plus, it was super fun!”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“I think it's really important for those interested in sustainability to consider how humans are inseparable from nature. A quote from my favourite conservationist, Rachel Carson, always comes to mind when I consider this issue: ‘But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.’ As I see it, we cannot continue to view ourselves as a wholly separate entity capable of only great harm or great good towards other species and the planet as a whole. Instead, we must consider how our species fits into the greater mosaic of the Earth, and how we can work not just to save ourselves or others, but how we can work as a part of nature towards an end goal of universal flourishing.”

06/02/2026

Hadi Saifi is graduating with a BA in International Development Studies and Law, Justice & Society, with a Minor in Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS). He is headed to McGill University this fall for Master of Public Policy studies. Congrats Hadi!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite course?

“My highlight of ESS was realizing how relevant sustainability is to many areas of academic and professional life, including public policy, environmental governance, conflict management, social justice, and community-based work. I was nervous at first and unsure whether I should take ESS courses at all, but a friend encouraged me to try, and I am very glad I did. It was definitely worth it.

“My favourite courses were Global Environmental Governance (SUST 2001) with Professor Bergel and Introduction to Conflict Management (SUST 2105) with Professor Schut. Both courses were engaging, practical, and intellectually valuable. Both courses helped me think more critically about how environmental issues, governance systems, conflict, and cooperation are connected. I would highly recommend both courses to incoming students, especially those interested in sustainability, policy, development, or justice-related work.”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“Climate change and climate justice.”

06/01/2026

This convocation season, we’re excited to celebrate some of our newest grads from the Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS) program.

Ella Hickey is graduating with a BA Combined Honours in Environment, Sustainability, and Society and Contemporary Studies (CTMP). She is also the recipient of the 2026 ESS Academic Improvement Award, given to the ESS grad who was judged to have shown the greatest academic improvement in class work over the full duration of their degree. Congrats Ella!! 🎉🎉🎉

What was your highlight of ESS? Favourite course?

“I particularly enjoyed SUST 2001: Global Environmental Governance (from the ESS program) and CTMP 4002: The Deconstruction of the Tradition II: Precarities (from the CTMP program). I also particularly enjoyed the smaller class sizes in each degree program, as they facilitated fascinating class discussion that expanded my perspective on the topics we discussed.”

What’s one sustainability topic you think everyone should be talking about?

“I think everyone, especially Canadians, should be talking more about the industrial agricultural systems and its roots in racist immigration policy! More specifically, we should be talking about the disproportionate impacts of industrial agriculture faced by migrant workers in Canada, how their lack of citizenship suspends them in a state of precarity, and how Canadian citizens can support our migrant worker counterparts.”

05/04/2026

ESS Alumni -- are you signed up to receive our quarterly alum newsletters? The Spring 2026 ESS Alumni newsletter has just gone out!

Update your contact info with us (see link below) to ensure you receive future newsletters with roundups of sustainability job postings, scholarships, grad study resources, ESS alumni news highlights, networking and meetup opportunities, and more.

https://www.dal.ca/faculty/sustainability/alumni-friends/update-form.html

04/21/2026

📢 On Tuesday, April 28, join us for The Many vs the Money. 📢

An evening of community, connection and action (and pancakes!). With Stacey Gomez, from the Centre for Migrant Worker Rights NS, and Kerian Burnett, a former migrant worker, we'll be exploring ways we can be in community and solidarity with our migrant neighbours.

🗓️ Tuesday, April 28
📍 All Saints Cathedral - Great Hall room (1330 Cathedral Lane, K'jipuktuk / Halifax)
⏰ Doors and food at 6:30 P.M. Main event 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.



Halifaxnoise
Council of Canadians Atlantic Office
NS Arts Coalition
Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia

03/27/2026

Congrats to all the amazing student presenters at yesterday's SDG Expo! There was a huge range of innovation and creativity on show relating to sustainability research (from researchers across the different faculties at Dal).

Swipe to see just a few of the Environment, Sustainability & Society (ESS) students who presented their excellent work!

03/26/2026

The 2026 Dalhousie SDG Expo is in full swing! Stop by the SUB (McInnis Room, 2nd floor) before 4pm today to explore all the amazing sustainability research being conducted by students at Dal (plus, meet fab student societies and community organizations!).

03/12/2026

Check out Haida Gwaii Institute's online summer course offerings!

https://hginstitute.ca/

Dear Friends of the Haida Gwaii Institute,

Have you ever been curious about studying with us? We are offering four online courses over the summer terms!

HGSE 312 Perspectives on Reconciliation, May 11 – June 17
HGSE 313 Reconciliation & Resource Management, May 12 – June 18
HGSE 373 Community Planning & Development for Resilience, June 29 – August 5
HGSE 381 Ecological Economics – June 30 – August 6

If you are a UBC student, you can self-register for these courses through Workday. If you are enrolled at another university, or a lifelong learner, you can register through our website directly and we will coach you through the next steps.

These are 300-level courses, which means they cater to students with at least two years of post-secondary experience, who are comfortable with the workload that comes with upper-division studies. However, we are inclusive of people with other kinds of academic, personal, or professional experience. If you are interested in the content and committed to the learning process, we invite you to register!

Transformative Education Inspired by Haida Gwaii WELCOME TO THE HAIDA GWAII INSTITUTE The future of education is taking shape on Haida Gwaii. Home to the Haida People since time immemorial, Haida Gwaii is a remote archipelago off the northwest coast of British Columbia that boasts spectacular coasta...

03/10/2026

SUSTies! Get your tickets now for this year's Green Gala (Friday 27 March at Chainyard Ciderhouse.