We are excited to be a part of the 10^th World Sustainability Forum (WSF) and to participate in the expansion of knowledge surrounding this fascinating and deeply important idea. Sustainability is the idea of being able to avoid the depletion of resources and maintaining growth and the improving of people’s lives. Here, we discuss briefly some of the aims and goals of the Toronto Hub of WSF2023!

What is sustainability?

There are many different ways in which sustainability is defined as a concept. Two of the most important definitions are for sustainability and sustainable development. UNESCO defines them as,

“Sustainability is often thought of as a long-term goal (i.e. a more sustainable world), while sustainable development refers to the many processes and pathways to achieve it.”

With a clear sense of what sustainability means, it’s easier to move forward and make those goals a reality.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Agreed upon in 2015 by the United Nations, these are a series of goals that aim towards addressing matters such as poverty, health, gender equality, and more. There are 17 such goals, ranging from ending poverty, to building resilient infrastructure, to promoting peaceful societies.

They are noble goals, all aiming to produce a better and more sustainable world.

The Sustainable Built Environment

This year, the Toronto Hub is focusing on a specific question within the scope of sustainability. What is a sustainable built environment? Because this topic deals with so many different elements of cities and the built environment, there is a great deal of depth to this topic.

This can focus on the ways in which the built environment interfaces with the people and the environment, and many other similar relationships. Looking at innovation is only one of the possible approaches to create greater impacts on the built environment. This hum thus aims to inspire and bring to the foreground collaboration efforts among different groups within the community.

As Dr. Berardi notes,

“Meanwhile, recent literature has discussed the importance of going beyond the sustainability assessment of single buildings and to enlarge the assessment scale to communities in a way that will cover all the different aspects of sustainability. In fact, a significant achievement in sustainability assessments has been the introduction of rating systems for urban design. These increase the assessment scale and allow for the consideration of aspects not accounted for at the building scale. Examples of some aspects of this are the flows and the synergies between initiatives within the built environment and the consequent social and economic effects of sustainability in the built environment.”

World Sustainability Forum Events

Coordinated with universities in Singapore, Basel (Switzerland), and Toronto (Canada), this will be a 24-hour event. Held in the three locations, as well as online for worldwide participation in this global event, the forum will have four main subjects distributed at the three locations.

The events begin in Singapore where the focus will be on sustainability for social and community impact. Next, to Basel, where the Chairs will lead discussions on sustainability in interdisciplinary sciences – tools, organizations, and approaches. Then, Toronto, where the focus will be on sustainability in the built environment.

As a hybrid event, WSF2023 will provide scholars, industry, and the community with the opportunity to attend the event in-person at one of the three conference sites or, most sustainably, online. We invite the community to participate in this event.

Sustainability through Innovation

At 11 am, the first session will take place, and will focus on sustainability through innovation. There will be paper presentations and a showcase to discuss the matter, and we invite the community to think deeply on the questions related to this topic.

Toronto Event Chair and Keynote Speakers

We are thrilled that the event will be chaired by Dr. Umberto Berardi from the Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada. The Toronto Hub will also feature two guest keynote speakers. Prof. Dr. Ursula Eicker, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities and Communities from Concordia University Montréal will be joining us. And Prof. Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, President and vice-chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly of Ryerson University, will also be speaking.

Being Part of WSF2023

We encourage the submission of abstracts for the World Sustainability Forum. Participating in this conference is something that can help the dissemination of ideas to the wider community and allows a bigger platform for visibility.

To submit an abstract, be sure to visit the Sciforum platform. If you want to participate in the events, you can also register online and directions to get to all of the venues, be it by plane or train, are available on the website. We look forward to seeing you there!

Don’t forget, the deadline is June 4th, 2023.

MDPI Sustainability Foundation

Finally, we would like to draw your attention to the MDPI Sustainability Foundation.

From the website,

One of MDPI Sustainability Foundation’s main purposes is to promote scientific dialogue and the exchange of information among interested organizations. As part of this effort, it has initiated the World Sustainability Forum (WSF), an international conference where the Award is presented, as well as its smaller counterpart—the local Sustainability Forum.

To learn more be sure to visit the site.