(HALIFAX, NS) March 3, 2023: Student teams at Saint Mary’s University and Memorial University have been named 2023 Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge Regional Champions by Canada’s largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and proud program supporter, Scotiabank.
The Enactus Team from Saint Mary’s University has created the Square Roots, 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 150,000 pounds of food from going to waste, diverted over 17,000,000 litres of water, and over 100,000 KG of greenhouse gases.
The Enactus Team from Memorial University of Newfoundland has created Project R3D – a project that is solving the global plastic problem by taking refuse plastic that would otherwise end up in landfills and the ocean and creating innovative filament for 3D Printers. In just 5 months, students have educated over 2,000 individuals and two businesses on climate action, conserved 900 litres of water, and diverted nearly $400 in waste.
“The amazing work of today’s winning teams is proof that when like-minded leaders come together for a worthy cause, they truly have the power make a real, lasting change,” says Allyson Hewitt, President of Enactus Canada.
The Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge empowers post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach viable solutions to relevant environmental issues. Since 2009, Enactus students have delivered over 1,100 environmental projects that have diverted over 600,000,000 liters of water, more than 450,000 tonnes of CO2, 200,000 tonnes of waste, and directly impacted the lives of over 300,000 people.
“We congratulate this year’s Enactus Canada regional champions in the Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge,” says Kim Brand, Vice President and Global Head of Sustainability at Scotiabank. “We all have an important role to play in the transition to a low-carbon, more resilient future and we are impressed with the creative and innovative contributions submitted by each of the regional champions.”
Student teams demonstrated the impact of their climate action projects to panels of business executives on March 3 in Halifax, Nova Scotia as part of the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition – Atlantic Canada.
These two finalist teams will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 1-3, 2023 at the Enactus Canada National Exposition in Montreal.
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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 October 31, 2022), 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:
Jennifer Falzon
VP, Programs & Marketing
Enactus Canada
jen@enactus.ca | 416.315.2099
Katie Raskina
katie.raskina@scotiabank.com
Students from Memorial University of Newfoundland – Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge Regional Champion
Students from Saint Mary’s University – Scotiabank Climate Action Challenge Regional Champion