McGill University has become the oldest in Canada to receive a Platinum STARS rating for sustainability. The achievement is the highest rating available from what is considered to be one of the most reliable means of measuring an educational institution’s track record on sustainability indicators.
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. It is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Earning Platinum makes McGill one of 14 globally and five in Canada to reach this status. In 2017, the university set out to achieve this target by 2030.
“Reaching the Platinum sustainability rating is a significant milestone that we are proud of, but it’s not the end of our journey,” said François Miller, executive director of sustainability, in a media release. “With the world facing serious climate and biodiversity challenges, universities like McGill will continue to play an important role in finding solutions.”
The university held gold status for the past eight years. Since then, it has integrated LEED standards into its design standards. All new construction or significant renovations are now built to LEED Gold specifications, where eligible. McGill also diverts most of its construction waste away from landfill.
The university also increased access to sustainability resources for its community, such as a new fellows program to support faculty in integrating sustainability into their courses, an elective on climate crisis and climate action and an introductory sustainability module that is available to all staff and students. The McGill Sustainability Policy and Strategic Academic Plan has also incorporated expanded commitments to sustainability-focused teaching and learning.
Looking ahead, McGill plans to release a new Climate & Sustainability Strategy in 2025 that considers the next iteration of the STARS framework. Current projects underway are a research, teaching, and learning hub dedicated to sustainability systems and public policy and installing new electric boilers to reduce the downtown campus’ energy-related emissions from buildings by 29 per cent to reach carbon neutrality by 2040.
