Students call on colleges and universities to take meaningful steps towards
sustainability

TORONTO , Nov. 27 /CNW/ - Students call on the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) to take more significant steps toward environmental sustainability, after they released a report for how they plan to make Ontario campuses greener. Students across Ontario have been calling on post-secondary education administrators to sign the University and College Presidents' Climate Change Statement of Action (www.climatechangeaction.ca), a commitment for meaningful action on the pressing issue of climate change.

"The self-congratulatory statement released by Ontario's universities was little more than them patting themselves on the back for what they've already done and committing to do more of the same," said Shelley Melanson , Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. "Students are disappointed and need a strong commitment to meaningful action in the future," she added.

"Nearly every commitment made by the universities to become "greener" refers to practices they already have," said Carly Joynt , Ontario Organiser for the Sierra Youth Coalition. "In this time of urgency for the climate and leading up to the Copenhagen summit, students want to see something meaningful from their institutions, not a commitment to maintain the status quo."

"Post-secondary education administrators can still make truly meaningful action by signing the Statement of Action, like many of their American counterparts, and some administrators in other provinces" said Daniel Myran, an organiser with Queen's University Backing Action on Climate Change. "The Council of Ontario Universities' lack of leadership on this is disappointing and out of step with the decisions made by many institutions across Canada and the United States ."

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario represents more than 300,000 college and university students from across Ontario. The Sierra Youth Coalition is Canada's leading environmental sustainability organization that strives to unite youth across the country in the goal of a greener world.

For further information: Shelley Melanson, Chairperson, Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario: [phone] (cell); Carly Joynt, Ontario Organiser, Sierra Youth Coalition: [phone] (cell)