The group, led by Paulin Coulibaly, will develop guidelines for integrating climate data in electricity system planning and design to mitigate climate change risks.
The buildup of pollutants on windows, roads and other urban structures can be re-released into the environment later, prolonging the damaging effects of wildfires.
The ranking, which evaluated more than 1,700 universities around the world based on their environmental impact, social impact and governance, places McMaster in the top 5 per cent of institutions.