Adedokun Waliyu 
The University of Toronto (U of T) has been recognized as the most sustainable university in the world in a new ranking.
The QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024, which evaluates post-secondary institutions for their environmental impact, social impact and governance, features nearly 1,400 global universities.
U of T rose from second place in last year’s ranking, with the University of California, Berkeley taking the top spot in that edition.
The method tracks how post-secondary institutions tackle the world’s most prominent environmental, social and governance challenges. U of T was ranked third for environmental and seventh for social impact.
The environmental impact category comprises sustainable education, sustainable institutions and sustainable research, while the social impact category includes employment and opportunities, equality, life quality, impact of education and knowledge exchange.
Canadian universities rank highly in sustainability
Other Canadian universities to crack the list include the University of British Columbia (UBC), which placed fourth in the world in the sustainability ranking, Western University in London, Ont. (10th), McGill University in Montreal (13th), the University of Alberta (28th), and Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. (64th).
“The University of Toronto community is absolutely delighted by this recognition of our global leadership in sustainability,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “It is a wonderful tribute to the innovation and commitment of the many U of T faculty, students, staff and alumni who are dedicated to meeting every aspect of this great challenge of the 21st century.
“They are demonstrating that effective action is possible on our campuses, in our communities and around the world.”
Rounding out the top 10 are the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Manchester (UK), UBC, the University of Aukland (New Zealand), Imperial College London, the University of Sydney (Australia), Lund University (Sweden), the University of Melbourne (Australia) and Western University (London, Ont.).
