SHERBROOKE, QC, Jan. 28, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - For a second consecutive year, the Université de Sherbrooke has ranked first in terms of sustainable development in Quebec and in Canada according to the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, which places Sherbrooke 6th in the world among universities taking part in this classification.
Sherbrooke even improved its score by 151 points, going from 6796 to 6948 points. Moreover, this ranking system put the Université de Sherbrooke 4th in the world among universities in urban settings. About 10 universities across Canada take part in this ranking, including York, Ottawa, and Concordia.
"We are very pleased indeed that the measures implemented by the Université de Sherbrooke have enabled the institution to maintain its place among the world's most innovative universities," proudly stated Professor Alain Webster, Vice-Principal, Sustainable Development. « The sustainable-development strategy, now a firm tradition in our university community, is a major component of our strategic plan and helps make our campuses veritable sustainable-development laboratories that benefit society as a whole."
Sherbrooke stands out in several categories that the GreenMetric WUR takes into account in its assessment, thereby reflecting the diversity of its approach.
The Université de Sherbrooke received the highest score (1000 points) for water usage. Its program includes a number of measures aimed at reducing consumption such as installing low-flow devices with motion detectors, eliminating equipment that operate with a continuous flow of city water, and prohibiting outdoor watering. In addition, the University's strides in using rainwater through developments at the main campus and at the Oasis de verdure on the Longueuil campus were acknowledged.
Sherbrooke obtained the 2nd best score (1575 points) awarded by GreenMetric WUR in the waste-management category. Some of the measures accounting for this performance are hazardous-waste management, composting of organic matter, installing waste-management centers on the various campuses, no longer selling bottled water, and the management of 100% recycled paper.
Sustainable transportation also stands out as one of the factors contributing to Sherbrooke's ranking, in particular, free mass transit, intercity transportation measures between Sherbrooke and Longueuil, the introduction of electric vehicles and charging stations on the campuses, and measures promoting active transportation. This also holds true in the energy-and-climate-change category, where Sherbrooke stood out for its major measures to save energy and use renewable energy, including solar power and geothermal energy.
About GreenMetric WUR
Published for the fourth year in January 2014, this ranking compares university efforts to promote campus sustainable development and environmentally friendly management. It takes into consideration criteria covering several aspects of sustainable development in university settings, such as energy and climate change, waste management, water usage, transportation, and education and research on sustainable development.
This year, 301 universities from 61 countries on 5 continents took part in GreenMetric WUR. First place went to the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom with a total of 7521 points.
SOURCE: Université de Sherbrooke
Isabelle Huard, Media-Relations Officer
Communications Department | Université de Sherbrooke
819-821-8000, extension 63395 | [email protected]
Visit our Web site : USherbrooke.ca/medias
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