McGill University has partnerships with external organizations at the local, provincial, regional, national and international levels to promote sustainability.
Local:
Parter - City of Montreal Sustainable Development Plan
The City of Montreal has spearheaded collective action towards sustainability, asking for members of the private, public and plural sectors on its territory to engage in actions identified in its sustainable development strategies. McGill has been a partner since the first Plan in 2005. See the list of McGill's engagements with the City of Montreal
At the City's annual Gala on Environment and Sustainability, McGill has been recognized twice for its efforts: the Minimum Cost Housing Group's Edible Campus project in 2010, and the Greening the Lower Campus project in 2011.
Les Amis de la Montagne
McGill’s location at the foot of Mount Royal, within the Ville-Marie and Peter-McGill administrative districts, has facilitated its partnership with the community of Les Amis de la Montagne. Check out an interactive map of Mount Royal to see some of the wonders of nature and culture in our area.
Éco-Quartier
Éco-Quartier is a program of the City of Montreal to promote environmental action by the city’s residents. As part of the Éco-Quartier Peter-McGill neighborhood, McGill University has worked to coordinate greening projects in conjunction with the community—such as a clean-up of the Milton-Parc area. McGill's Professor Suzelle Barrington and her teamed also worked with Eco-Quartier Jeanne-Mance to design the Tournesol composters now installed in Jeanne-Mance park.
The Edible Campus rooftop garden project
A vegetable container garden has been sustained on the rooftop of the Burnside garage every summer since 2007 as a partnership between the School of Urban Planning, School of Architecture, and local NGOs Santropol Roulant and Alternatives. The vegetables grown are used for the meals-on-wheels program of Santropol Roulant.
Voyagez Futé
McGill has partnered with Voyagez Futé for various transportation projects, including the Allégo program.
Provincial:
McGill is an active member of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (CREPUQ) network, specifically, on the working group on the environment. McGill student groups have been allied with ENvironnement JEUnesse (ENJEU), a youth-led group which also acts to improve campus environments.
National:
McGill is a member of the Canadian Alliance of College and University Sustainability Professionals (CUSP) and sits on the interim Steering Committee. References: History behind CUSP; CUSP Terms of Reference (last updated October 2011)
Some McGill student groups are allied with the Sierra Youth Coalition (SYC), a youth-organized group that helps to foster linkages and communication between campus green movements across Canada.
McGill student groups are also linked with regional and national university greening campaigns, such as Energy Action and the Climate Change Coalition.
Regional:
McGill is a member of the Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC). "The NECSC was established in October 2004 to advance education and action for sustainable development on university campuses in the northeast and maritime region. Organized around the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the NECSC members have committed to an annual meeting that advances campus sustainability by providing close networking opportunities, professional development, and access to the areas vibrant and growing college and university sustainability practitioner community. The NECSC represents more than forty institutions of higher education from the northeast United States and Eastern Canadian Provinces."
McGill's Environmental Officer serves on the NECSC Steering Committee. McGill was proud to have hosted the first Canadian meeting of this group in October 2010.
International:
McGill is a member of the International Association of Universities (IAU), the UNESCO-based worldwide association of universities. In 1990, McGill signed the Talloires Declaration. The secretariat of this interuniversity agreement is the University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF). The following year, McGill signed the Halifax Declaration. McGill is also a participating member in the Montreal Centre d'expertise régional en éducation en vue du développement durable of the United Nations University Institute for Advanced Studies.
McGill is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). This provides anyone with a McGill email address with free access all of AASHE's online resources. McGill's Environmental Officer is also a member of the AASHE Advisory Council.