Electrifying Concordia: A Living Lab on Sustainable and Community-Driven Decarbonization

Sustainability in the Digital Age and Future Earth Canada are part of a new Living Lab Project under Concordia University’s Volt-Age research program designed “to tackle urgent challenges in electrification, sustainability, and energy transition.” Per Concordia, “Living Labs bring researchers and societal partners together to test ideas in real-world settings.” The funded project, Electrifying Concordia: A Living Lab on Sustainable and Community-Driven Decarbonization, will engage the Concordia community in hands-on research and implementation of decarbonization solutions in line with Concordia’s ambitious Sustainability Action Plan and PLAN/NET ZERØ programs.

• Principal investigator: Damon Matthews, Concordia University.
• Co-principal investigators: Alexandra Lesnikowski, Concordia University; Adriane MacDonald, Concordia University; Marc-Antoni Goulet, Concordia University; Govind Gopakumar, Concordia University.
• Concordia community partners: Concordia Office of the Provost, Concordia Facilities Management and PLAN/NET ZERO, Concordia Office of Sustainability, Shift Centre for Social Transformation, Office of Indigenous Directions, Concordia Climate Emergency Committee, Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability and Loyola Sustainability Research Center, Future Earth Canada, Sustainability in the Digital Age, Cultivaction Solidarity Cooperative, Visualization Studio

This Living Lab will involve ongoing consultation and engagement with campus groups to reflect community needs and priorities towards decarbonization. By working together, the project aims to create a resilient, low-carbon campus that can serve as a model for other institutions and communities looking to tackle sustainability challenges.

With support from