(MONTREAL, QC) May 2, 2023 – Students from Saint Mary’s University have been named the 2023 Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge National Champion. The team was selected by Canada’s largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and program supporter Scotiabank.
Square Roots, is a project that solves a two-part problem by eliminating food waste through the sale of seconds (imperfect) produce that would otherwise go to waste to those in their community with limited access to fresh, affordable produce through community champions. In the past 12 months, the team has prevented 152,000 pounds of food from going to waste, diverted over 22,000,000 litres of water, and over 100,000 KG of greenhouse gases.
“Everyone has a part to play in the battle against climate change.” said Allyson Hewitt, President of Enactus Canada. “Enactus students have embraced this and are leading the charge in ensuring a better, cleaner tomorrow for us all.”
“ We are impressed by all the climate change initiatives presented today and especially proud of Enactus Saint Mary’s for all that they’ve accomplished through their project, Square Roots.” said Maria Saros, Vice President and Global Head, Social Impact at Scotiabank. “We are proud to work with Enactus Canada to empower the next generation of leaders, like Enactus Saint Mary’s, and help create a more resilient and prosperous future for all.”
Since 2009, the Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge empowers post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach viable solutions to relevant environmental issues. To date, 13,155 Enactus students have helped conserve more than 680,000,000 litres of water, divert over 250,000 tonnes of waste, and introduce more than 11,000 organizations to green business practices.
Student teams demonstrated the impact of their climate action projects to panels of business executives today at the Enactus Canada National Exposition, which is taking place for the first time ever in Montreal, in partnership with Tourism Montreal.
The annual three-day event unites hundreds of delegates – including the country’s brightest university and college students, academic professionals and top Canadian CEOs to enable progress by supporting entrepreneurial action through competition, recognition and education.
For more information about the event, competition updates, and results, visit enactus.ca/events/national-exposition
-30-
ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, a national charity and the country’s largest post-secondary experiential learning platform, is shaping entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 3,000 post-secondary students led 188 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, directly impacting over 30,000 lives.
As a global network of 33 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: “for every future“, we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000 employees and assets of over $1.3 trillion (as at January 31, 2023), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank.
Media Inquiries:
Tyler Maddigan
Marketing & Communications
Enactus Canada
tyler@enactus.ca | 709.725.8931