Western maintains 4th spot in Canada, amongst prime 1% globally for sustainability

Western stays among the many prime universities on the earth, rating twenty fourth globally for social and environmental sustainability.

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds Limited) World University Rankings (WUR): Sustainability 2026, launched this week, positions Western within the prime one per cent of all universities, and fourth nationally, sustaining final 12 months’s place.

The QS rankings present a novel and detailed framework to evaluate how universities are taking motion to sort out the world’s best environmental, social and governance challenges.

Western held its foothold, whilst an extra 9 Canadian establishments took half within the rating, with a 14 per cent enhance in total participation globally. A complete of 1,994 establishments have been ranked, in comparison with 1,744 final 12 months.

“Future-proofing our planet is a priority for Western – through teaching, research and innovative solutions put into practice on our own campus,” mentioned Western President Alan Shepard. “Students, faculty and staff drive this sustainability work forward – I’m delighted to see their efforts continue to be recognized nationally and internationally.” 

Western’s ongoing dedication to sustainability: From catastrophe preparedness to inexperienced power

With an total international rating of 95.8 out of 100 – up from 94.2 final 12 months – the most recent rating reveals Western stays dedicated to sustainability, a key pillar in its strategic plan, Towards Western 150.

Researchers and graduate college students within the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory are serving to outline a nationwide response to excessive climate by engineering storm-resilient houses and dealing with builders and insurers to strengthen constructing codes.

Experts in mechanical and supplies engineering are growing next-generation EV batteries and nanomaterials with potential to resolve pressing challenges associated to power storage, conversion and environmental air pollution.

Western researchers are serving to outline Canada’s response to excessive climate by engineering storm-resilient houses and dealing with builders and insurers to strengthen constructing codes. (Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory)

The campus group is actively working in direction of decreasing greenhouse fuel emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 (relative to 2005 ranges) and, led by the work of Facilities Management, Western has additionally pledged to realize net-zero emissions for campus operations by 2050 or sooner. An electrical boiler and a Deep Energy Retrofit program are two latest examples of initiatives serving to Western to realize these targets.

The college additionally tracks its progress by aligning its operations, teachers and analysis tasks with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to construct a greater world. Western gives greater than 2,700 academic courses and contributes to greater than 1,900 research projects that assist advance the SDGs.

Over the previous three years, Western has been a constant chief in international rankings of universities working towards the SDGs. The Times Higher Education 2025 Impact Rankings positioned Western 14^th total and within the prime 50 worldwide for 10 of the SDGs.

Joan Ang, supervisor of power and carbon for Western Sustainability, and Bryan Lootsma, challenge coordinator, Facilities Management, stand in entrance of recent and up to date gear put in throughout a retrofit of Siebens Drake Research Institute. (Brandon Watson/Western Facilities Management)

By the numbers: Measuring Western’s present social and environmental impression

The QS rankings measure college efficiency based mostly on three evaluation classes:

• Environmental impression, which accounts for 45 per cent of the overall rating. This class combines three indicators: environmental schooling, environmental analysis and environmental sustainability. Western ranked 30^th total.
• Social impression, which accounts for 45 per cent of the overall rating. This class considers 5 indicators: employability and alternatives, equality, well being and well-being, impression of schooling and data trade. Western ranked 46^th total.
• Governance represents 10 per cent of the overall rating. This indicator assesses open resolution making, ethics, pupil illustration on governing our bodies and monetary transparency. Western ranked 50^th total.

(Darryl Lahteenmaa/Western Communications)

Shaping Western’s local weather and sustainability technique: Join the dialog

Heather Hyde, Western’s director of sustainability mentioned the QS rankings “acknowledge the united efforts by the Western community to build a sustainable future together.”

Hyde mentioned Western college students, employees and school could make additional impression by serving to to form the college’s new climate and sustainability strategy. Members of the Western group are invited to find out about and share suggestions on the draft technique plan throughout a virtual town hall Friday, Nov. 21.

“Designing and executing this strategy requires collective action and input from the entire campus community,” Hyde mentioned. “This is an opportunity for everyone to get involved in advancing sustainability at Western.”