McGill University placed 15th in the world — in the top 1 per cent among 1,751 institutions worldwide — in the new QS World University Rankings: Sustainability.
The University placed third in Canada and fourth within the Americas.
McGill earned an overall score of 96.4 out of 100, and finished in the global top 10 in two categories: environmental education, which focuses on environmental sustainability curriculum offerings, and impact of education, which assesses the quality and impact of sustainability research as well as curriculum.
“McGill’s success in these rankings reflects the deep integration of sustainability into our teaching, research, and campus operations,” said François Miller, Executive Director of Sustainability. “It’s both a recognition of our progress and a call to action to push even further in tackling the global challenges of our time.”
Much to celebrate, and more to come
McGill currently offers over 600 sustainability-related courses, earned over $17M in NSERC funding for sustainability research in the last fiscal year and published over 5,000 research papers related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2023. It also earned a STARS Platinum rating earlier this year.
As well, McGill placed eighth among doctoral institutions in the latest Sustainable Campus Index rankings, ranking especially high in purchasing and research.
The QS Sustainability Rankings arrive on the heels of McGill’s Climate & Sustainability Annual Report. Released on November 18 by the Office of Sustainability, it highlights McGill’s progress in 2023-24, such as a new Bieler research chair in Northern Climate Change and Sustainability, and Silver status for the Fair Trade Campus Certification.
In early 2025, the University is expected to publish its Climate & Sustainability Strategy 2025-30. It will outline a new five-year action plan for advancing McGill’s ambitious targets, which include becoming zero-waste by 2035 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.