OAKLAND, CA – Today, Sierra magazine, the national magazine of the Sierra Club, released its eleventh annual “Cool Schools” ranking of North America’s greenest colleges and universities. Sierra received complete surveys from a record-breaking 227 schools -- in 36 states, the District of Columbia, and for the first time ever, Canada.
Each of the schools were evaluated based on their commitment to protecting the environment, addressing climate issues, and encouraging environmental responsibility. Using a customized scoring system, Sierra’s researchers ranked the universities based on their commitment to upholding high environmental standards.
The Canadian schools included in this year’s rankings are:
41. Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
85. University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta)
110. Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo, Ontario)
155. University of Winnipeg (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
165. Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario)
168. York University (Toronto, Ontario)
177. University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Oshawa, Ontario)
"We’re thrilled to welcome these seven Canadian universities to our Cool Schools rankings for the first time,” said Jason Mark, editor in chief of Sierra magazine. “The climate crisis is not a one-country issue, and it is a testament to the growing and diversifying environmental movement that we are able to now include international schools who are leading the way toward a sustainable, clean energy future.”
Many of this year’s Canadian colleges and universities received high scores in a number of ranked categories, including innovation, co-curricular, planning, and water.
"Year after year, we continue to see young people leading the fight against the climate crisis and toward a 100 percent sustainable future. That’s why students are pushing their high schools and colleges to not only divest from fossil fuels but to commit to 100 percent localized clean energy on campus,” said Karissa Gerhke, National Director of the Sierra Student Coalition. “The Sierra Student Coalition applauds these student leaders and their schools for their innovation and leadership.”
The full ranking of 227 colleges and universities, including each school’s completed questionnaire, is online at
www.sierraclub.org/coolschools.
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About Sierra magazine
Sierra is the national magazine of the Sierra Club, America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide. The Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, go to www.sierramagazine.com.