Some Canadian universities are celebrating their recent standings in the 2019 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, which measure campus sustainability around the globe.

University of Sherbrooke once again retained the top spot in Canada and ranked 22nd in the world among 780 post-secondary institutions that took part. The school was previously praised for energy and climate change management and its many ongoing initiatives, like its solar park, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Second in Canada is Carleton University, which placed 35th in the world – as well as first in Ontario. The university has been undergoing many environmental and sustainable improvements with its operations and research, such as upgrading its co-generation facility to lower demand on the local hydro grid and its innovative food court recycling program.

Carleton created recycling stations and realigned consumer packaging with less wasteful material, resulting in a waste diversion rate of 90 per cent, up from 12 per cent, in less than a year.

Another initiative there is the Advanced Research and Innovation in Smart Environments (ARISE) Building, specifically designed for multidisciplinary research partnerships with governments and the private sector. ARISE will be the headquarters of Carleton-led national networks such as the new Canadian Permafrost Research Network, the recently launched Canadian Accessibly Network, and Efficiency Canada — a national voice for energy efficiency advocacy.

Universities participating in the world ranking were evaluated on six indicators: setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste management, water, transportation and education.

Also ranking in the top five in Canada were McMaster University in 51st place globally, York University in 62nd and Trent University following in 66th place.