For the first time, the University of Ottawa has been awarded a Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
“The University has been on its sustainability journey for years”, notes Jonathan Rausseo, the University’s campus sustainability expert. “But this achievement demonstrates that uOttawa has been able to expand its sustainability programs into all aspects of campus life.”
Notably, uOttawa scored high marks due to its sustainability-related courses (with hundreds of courses focusing on, or related to, sustainability), sustainability planning (given the inclusion of sustainability in uOttawa’s Transformation 2030 Plan), and its partnerships with organizations like TD to create unique volunteering opportunities.
Associate Vice-President of Facilities Marc-Antoine Joly remarked that “… this is more great news for sustainability at the University. With the recent announcement on divestment and the campus’ move towards lower carbon buildings, we have a clear path to a more sustainable future.”
Marc-Antoine Joly also chairs the Campus Sustainability Committee, which helped draft the first uOttawa campus sustainability report to earn a gold rating. This committee is currently working with individual faculties to help them draft their own sustainability plans.
The completion of this report was a campus-wide effort with virtually every administrative unit gathering data and four students supporting the Office of Campus Sustainability.
The University of Ottawa’s complete report is available on the STARS website, along with full descriptions of the categories and in-depth details about uOttawa programs.
