The Princeton Review, in collaboration with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), recently released the fourth annual edition of its free guidebook saluting the most environmentally responsible “green colleges.”

The guidebook profiles 322 schools that have demonstrated notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, and Western University in London, Ont., were the two Canadian schools mentioned in the guide.

According to the guide, UBC, Canada’s first university to adopt a sustainability development policy, “has one of the most ambitious plans for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of any institution of its size.” The school is also praised for requiring all new buildings to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification.

A majority of the buildings at the University of Western Ontario have undergone energy-related retrofits and renovations in the last three years. The school also has also pledged a commitment to embed “sustainability into every facet of daily life.”

The Guide to 322 Green Colleges includes:

• School profiles, with information on application, admission, financial aid and sustainability initiatives, as well as a “green facts” sidebar that reports on everything from a school’s use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs to the availability of environmental studies and career guidance for green jobs.
• A list of schools with LEED certified buildings as well as those that are signatories of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).

Robert Franek, senior vice-president and publisher of the Princeton Review, notes that today’s college-bound students are interested in green issues.

“Among 9,955 college applicants who participated in (a) 2013 survey, 62 per cent said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school,” he says.