Sustainable Development - Université Laval receives STARS gold rating with best performance in Canada

QUEBEC CITY, March 11, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Université Laval received the STARS (Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System) gold rating for its strong commitment to sustainable development. This distinction was awarded by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development, with a membership of more than 1,000 universities worldwide. Université Laval pulled in a score of 73.3%, ranking first in Canada and ninth out of more than 300 institutions around the world that have gone through the evaluation process. This performance places Université Laval ahead of some of the most prestigious universities on the planet, notably Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Duke, and Notre Dame.

The rating is obtained after completing an evaluation process that uses more than 150 criteria to measure a university's sustainable development performance and achievements in a large number of areas, including training programs; research activities; organizational planning; human resources, water, and waste management; transportation; development of innovative practices; and the university's impact in the community. The STARS rating attests that a university has made a serious commitment to a comprehensive sustainable development process in all of its activities.

Éric Bauce, executive and development vice-rector and the person in charge of sustainable development at Université Laval, is delighted with the distinction: "This rating highlights the daily efforts of Université Laval students and employees to incorporate sustainable development into their thinking and actions, giving the university community an increasingly distinct cultural trait. It is a great source of pride and motivation for the university's staff and student body."

The evaluation report submitted by Université Laval was notable for its employees' and students' commitment to social and humanitarian causes, the measures the university has taken to become carbon neutral, and the number of research chairs, centers, and groups related to sustainable development. Université Laval's detailed report is available at www.stars.aashe.org.

SOURCE: Université Laval

Jean-François Huppé, Media Relations, Université Laval, 418-656-7785, [email protected]