Sustainability: HEC Montréal receives a STARS Silver rating
November 7, 2018
HEC Montréal has received a STARS Silver rating for its sustainability performance. This recognition from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is valid for three years.
Evaluating All Best Practices
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a widely recognized reference framework in North America, with 430 universities participating to date. It combines several certifications and defines all best practices in the university community.
STARS is based on self-reporting by universities of their efforts and achievements. They earn points depending on a series of criteria and indicators that consider academics, engagement, operations, and planning and administration. STARS is intended to reflect their sustainability performance in environmental, social and economic terms.
“We submitted a sustainability action plan that was very favourably received. The plan sets 15 targets that will allow the community to integrate current and future initiatives to ensure synergy in our actions. We’re planning to issue an annual report in 2020 describing our achievements and our goals. We also hope to obtain a STARS Gold rating by then,” says Johanne Turbide, Director of Sustainable Development at HEC Montréal.
Concrete Actions
The achievements that earned the School this certification include more widespread sustainable procurement policies, including reorganizing our chemical water-treatment systems to use bulk products, limit the number of single-use containers and reduce water consumption.
In addition, all the School’s housekeeping products are now Green Seal or EcoLogo certified, and in future major infrastructure projects will include clauses calling for the recycling of construction waste.
A significant number of HEC Montréal students have taken part in humanitarian projects during their Campus Abroad courses, and this also earned the School points.
Lastly, there is the large proportion of professors who have published papers on sustainable development or related topics: 70 of the School’s 282 faculty members, or nearly 25%.