News article
Sussex ranked 1st in the UK and 6th globally for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions in sustainability rankings
The University of Sussex has been ranked first in the UK and sixth in the world in one of the categories in the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings, published today (Wednesday 23 June).
Sussex was ranked first place in the UK (up from 13 in 2025) and rose an incredible 77 places to sixth globally in the Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions category. The category recognises universities that make a significant contribution to advancing justice, equality, human rights and effective institutions through their research, teaching and wider societal impact. This result reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to drive progressive environmental, social, and technological change.
The ranking measures 1,646 universities from around the world based on their progress towards the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sussex made submissions in six out of 17 SDGs and ranked highest in the following categories, all making the UK top 20, with three in the top 10:
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1st in the UK (6th in the world) for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG16) (joint 83rd globally in 2025)
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7th in the UK (38th in the world) for Climate Action (SDG13) (101-200 globally in 2025)
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Joint 9th in the UK (101-120 in the world) for No Poverty (SDG1) (63rd globally in 2025)
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13th in the UK (88th in the world) for Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG11) (92nd globally in 2025)
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17th in the UK (33rd in the world) for Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12) (joint 63rd globally in 2025)
The rise in SDG11, Sustainable Cities and Communities and rise in SDG17, Partnerships for the Goals to 95th globally (from 101-200 in 2025), means that five of the six SDGs measured were also placed in the top 100 globally.
Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sussex, Professor Sasha Roseneil, said: "Our Sussex 2035 strategy is built around three transformational themes – human flourishing, digital futures, and environmental sustainability – which closely align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These latest results demonstrate the impact of Sussex’s passionate collective commitment to tackling complex global challenges through world-leading research, education and engagement.
"We are particularly proud to be ranked first in the UK and sixth in the world for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. This outstanding achievement reflects the importance of Sussex’s work addressing pressing issues of global conflict, social justice and inclusion, corruption, democracy and power.”
Research plays an important role in shaping effective government policy, feeding into decision making and providing policy makers with the evidence, insights and tools needed to address complex social and environmental challenges. At the University of Sussex, researchers are helping to inform public policy and support evidence-based decision-making at local, national and international levels.
For example, Sussex’s Dr Lucilla Newell’s research, the Ripple Effect, aims to engage and empower local people through citizen science techniques to monitor health and biodiversity along the Upper River Medway. This work investigates how shifts in individual and collective identity can generate the systemic change needed for ecological regeneration.
More broadly across the UK and globally, Professor Fiona Marshall and her team are developing a digital platform that explores pathways to sustainable land use.The Landscape Integrative Mapping and Modelling for Multifunctional Analysis (LIMMMA) enables government departments, planning agencies and nature recovery bodies to map landscapes using local datasets to improve local nature recovery, food production and farming.
Adam Batchelor, Sustainability Manager at the University of Sussex said: “Many initiatives across the University illustrate the breadth of our contribution to advancing peace, justice and strong institutions. The result from these rankings is a comprehensive picture of the excellent work taking place across Sussex and its contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”