Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the role that the University of Toronto has had in helping to establish a Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development in Toronto, Canada. The way in which the RCE initiative has helped to move forward the university's own five-year plan will also be discussed. Design/methodology/approach: The paper begins with a historical overview of the development of the Toronto RCE, acknowledging the diverse range of NGO, governmental and educational institutions that collaborate within this network. It then describes how the RCE initiative is helping to advance the objectives of the University of Toronto's own five-year plan. Finally, the paper details how the University of Toronto has supported specific projects of the RCE, and where it hopes to help to lead the RCE into the next phase of its development. Findings: In addition to presenting a case study of an RCE, the paper includes critical discussion of broader conceptual issues, such as how one might best interpret "interdisciplinarity" and community "outreach" in a university setting. Originality/value: The UN University's RCE is, in itself, a highly original and valuable initiative. The paper describes one of these networks and its own, unique focus, while also drawing conclusions about how universities might more actively engage with community partners to advance environmental awareness.