Sustainability

Plans and certifications

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UNB Sustainability engaged with the campus community to create a Climate Change Action Plan and a Campus Sustainability Plan for both of our campuses (Fredericton and Saint John).

These plans support UNB in becoming a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship across Canadian universities.

These plans also support UNB's mission “to inspire and educate our people to become problem solvers and leaders in the world, undertake research that addresses societal and scientific challenges, and engage with our partners to build a more just, sustainable and inclusive world.”

Climate Change Action Plan    Campus Sustainability Plan

2023-2024 | Sustainability report
2022-2023 | Sustainability report

Certifications

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), a program of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), is used for measuring sustainability at UNB. STARS is a transparent, self-reporting, sustainability assessment tool for universities and colleges, that has been used by over 900 institutions worldwide.

UNB first submitted to STARS in 2017 for the Fredericton campus and received a Silver rating. UNB submitted to STARS again and received another Silver rating for the Fredericton campus in 2020 and a Silver rating for the Saint John campus in 2021. Review the STARS Report Archive to see UNB's previous STARS reports.

In 2025, the UNB Sustainability team completed a combined Fredericton and Saint John campus submission to STARS and received a Silver rating. The STARS rating that UNB receives gives recognition of our sustainability efforts, representing, not replacing, the goal of becoming a sustainable institution.


Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an industry building rating system that is recognized as the international mark of excellence for green buildings in over 132 countries.

The LEED rating system evaluates six aspects of building design and construction: site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials used, indoor environmental quality, and innovation.

The Hans W. Klohn Commons Library (opened in 2011) on the UNB Saint John campus and the Kinesiology Building (opened in 2018) on the UNB Fredeicton campus have achieved LEED Gold certification. The design and construction of these buildings has resulted in a number of environmental efficiencies and cost savings to the university.