Sustainability Initiatives at Explore Waterloo Region
Sustainability is important to everyone.
It’s one of the pillars of Waterloo Region’s Tourism Master Plan and plays an important part in the Strategic Plan of Explore Waterloo Region. The tourism business community and our visitors feel very strongly about protecting the environment. As such, it makes good sense to partner with an organization that knows the subject matter best.
Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR) is a social enterprise nonprofit that’s committed to helping the local business community, and Waterloo Region as a whole, become environmentally and economically sustainable and strong. That’s why Explore Waterloo Region is collaborating with Sustainable Waterloo Region to promote sustainability in the business event, sport, group tour, and leisure sectors in the Waterloo Region.
Meet Tova Davidson, Executive Director, Sustainable Waterloo Region
Tova explains why Waterloo Region is recognized as an innovation hub for sustainability, and how that innovation ethos is deeply embedded into our community.
“If an organization or club wants to host an event here – if what they’re looking for is a sustainable event – we can help to implement those industry best practices.”
– Tova Davidson
Watch the video to learn more.
The Impact Network
Explore Waterloo Region is a partner in SWR’s Impact Network. This partnership aims to foster a culture of sustainability at EWR and with our members by supporting emissions reduction through measurement and reporting, and providing resources to build capacity and expand sustainability knowledge among partners.
Joining the Impact Network as an Explore Waterloo Region partner gives you the opportunity to be a driver of sustainability in the tourism industry!
“We are delighted to be working with Sustainable Waterloo Region and look forward to creating initiatives that will give us a competitive advantage going forward while protecting this beautiful region that we promote for visitation.”
– Michele Saran, CEO of Explore Waterloo Region
Become part of the Impact Network
EWR members who join the Impact Network will immediately start benefiting from SWR’s experience and insights. SWR offers a variety of support services customized to each member’s unique needs, including:
- Data tracking -energy, waste, water, and more
- Annual individual reports
- Action planning & target setting for emissions reduction
- Informational webinars
- Workshops
- Networking
- Resources, guidebooks and case studies
- Employee engagement opportunities
- Green team support
- 1:1 meetings
Click the link below for more information and to join the Impact Network.
Microforest Program
SWR’s Microforest Program encourages organizations across Waterloo Region to donate land on which trees can be planted.
As a recent Statistics Canada study showed, Waterloo Region is one of a small number of urban areas in Canada that has successfully protected the amount of green space in the community over the last 20 years.
Small but meaningful programs such as microforest planting will help the region meet their urban tree cover goals and continue to keep our region as green as possible.
Businesses can become involved by:
- Sponsoring a Microforest
- Donating Land
- Adopting a Microforest
Find out more by linking below.