October 28, 2010

U of C earns an A- for sustainability

By Claudio Perrella

The University of Calgary is making the grade when it comes to sustainability.

So notes the College Sustainability Report Card, which gave the U of C an A- yesterday.

The U of C shared the honour of being ranked among Canada's most sustainable universities with the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto, which also received A-, the highest grade achieved by any Canadian university.

Joanne Perdue, the U of C's director of sustainability, says we can all take pride in the university's performance.

"It's a direct reflection of the ongoing commitment to excellence and leadership in advancing sustainability within our campus community," she said. "So many individuals are stepping-up to lead or assist with initiatives that integrate principles of sustainability into daily life on campus."

The College Sustainability Report Card reviews and grades progress in administration, climate change and energy, food and recycling, green building, student involvement, transportation, endowment transparency, and investment priorities in American and Canadian universities.

Find out more about the report card and the U of C's performance by visiting www.greenreportcard.org.

For more stories on how students, staff and faculty are stepping up together to turn SustainabilityON at U of C or to learn how you can become involved, visit: www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability.