From the crisis of plastic in the oceans to gender disparities in pay, the world’s biggest concerns are more and more in the minds of consumers and corporations. And no one understands the importance of tackling these better than universities and their students.
But which universities are incorporating these global issues into their governance? And how can we measure the real impact that universities are making on their students and their wider communities?
Times Higher Education has released the Sustainability Impact Ratings to shine a light on those institutions that are working hard to tackle global issues such as gender inequality, quality education for all, climate change, achieving peaceful societies and economic growth.
To compile the rankings, we mapped how universities around the world are committing to the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a global call to action to tackle poverty, climate change and inequality.
Universities were invited to submit data on how they were progressing on the SDGs. More than 2,000 universities submitted data this year across the SDGs. You can read more about the methodology here.
This ranking is a crucial resource for students choosing universities because it moves away from assessing universities on their research output and focuses instead on the impact that universities are having on some of the world’s most pressing issues.
Top five universities in the overall Sustainability Impact Ratings
1. University of Manchester
The University of Manchester moves up one place this year to become the top university in the world for global impact.
The UK university has demonstrated its commitment to the SDGs through a range of research institutes and centres, including the Manchester Environmental Research Institute, the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research and the Sustainable Consumption Institute.
On campus, the university has implemented the Living Campus plan, which aims to address the challenges of growing an urban campus while encouraging local biodiversity.
2. Griffith University
Griffith University has climbed two places to claim this year’s second position.
The Australian university scores highly for SDG 15 (life on land) and SDG 14 (life below water).
In terms of research, the university is home to a range of research centres conducting research in topics such as health policy, low-carbon energy, climate action and social change.
Students can join a range of clubs relating to the SDGs, including the marine society, the sustainable medicine society and women in engineering.
3. Western Sydney University
Western Sydney University scored particularly highly for SDG 15 (life on land) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).
The university has prioritised research in areas relating to SDG 4 (quality education), SDGs 13, 14 and 15 (relating to environment and sustainability), SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDGs 11 and 12 (sustainable cities and communities, and responsible consumption and production).
A series of key initiatives have also been introduced on campus to increase its sustainability, including implementing a pilot solar-powered car park on the Kingswood Campus, offsetting the carbon footprint of international travel and installing more electric vehicle charging stations on campus.
4. Queen’s University
Queen’s University is the only Canadian university in the top 10.
It scores highly across SDGs including SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 11 (sustainable citites and communities) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
Student-led environmental projects on the Queen’s University campus include the Earth Centre, the Tea Room and a student-run service that provides free energy retrofits to student housing.
Sustainable Queen’s brings together all the campus working groups that aim to create a greener, more sustainable campus.
5. Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia climbs nine places this year to enter the top five. It is the only university in Malaysia to rank in the overall top 10.
It scored highly in SDG 14 (life below water) and ranks first for SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals).
The university has introduced a range of sustainable initiatives on campus, including an undergraduate minor in sustainability and a postgraduate research programme as part of the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies.
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